Bad Intentions

“Intent matters more than content.”

–     Steve Heston (hey!  I got quoted in the Daily Difference!  Suh-WEET!)

The Detroit Lions’ defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh, got suspended for the Lions playoff game at Dallas next week, their first real shot at a playoff run in many years.  Dominic Raiola, the Lions’ center, was suspended for the game they played at Green Bay on Sunday.

Why?

Because they stomped on the legs of opponents?

Well, yes, sort of.  But primarily because they had bad intentions that went beyond their actions.  For Suh, we’ve lost count of how many times he’s run afoul of the “player safety” rules to count.  For Raiola, it was his sixth — you read that right, his sixth cheap-shot / player safety penalty since 2010.  If these were DUI’s, they’d be felons.  In fact, if this crap they pull happened on the street corner, they’d be felons.

So, maybe these guys are just fierce competitors?  Nope.  Maybe they’re just caught up in the moment?  Not buying it.  In order to do really bad things, whether it’s on the field of play or in business, you have to possess either suspect morals or you have to have bad intentions.  And when you have both — well, that says as much about your leaders — or you as a leader — as it does about the actions themselves.

The Lions have an opportunity, Players Association be damned.  They can own this problem and cut both of these losers, saying clearly that “crap like that ain’t gonna cut it here, not in the Ford family.”  Or, they can go on, being accurately labeled “dirty,” and floundering behind the guys that play the game hard, but clean.

There aren’t very many things that are complete deal breakers anymore.  Bad intentions will always be on that list.  And, if we see them, or experience them, we owe it to ourselves — and everyone else in the “arena” to call them out and take a stand.