Dec 30, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA;Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) prior to the snap of the ball against the Chicago Bears during 1st half of a game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Lions’ fans have thick skin and have long ago accepted the fact that the majority of their players will get disrespected. With just one winning season since 2001 it should be expected, however one of the cornerstones of the franchise continues to be disrespected to the degree of petty jealously.

The most notorious Lion constantly under the microscope is Ndamukong Suh. The star out of Nebraska had an astonishing rookie season in 2010 with the makings of a bona fide NFL star. Early in the 2011 season, it was reported that Suh had been named “dirtiest player in the NFL” by his peers. That is obviously a media creation to fuel the countless hours of “debate” shows ESPN runs on a daily basis. You’ll never see a poll of the creepiest looking janitors voted by custodians everywhere, but dirty football players apparently moves the needle. At the time, I remember wondering how Suh was dirty. The only questionable thing was when he shoved Jay Cutler to the turf in a 2010 game, resulting in a bogus personal foul. That was a solid football play, not dirty.

But then a funny thing happened–he started living up to his reputation. Right around that time came the Thanksgiving stomping incident and the off field issues began to emerge. Its almost like he thought that if he couldn’t convince people that he’s clean, he might as well be dirty. His play suffered, taking a noticeable step back in the Lions’ playoff season.

Suh bounced back with a solid 2012 season, doubling his number of sacks to eight and appearing in the Pro Bowl, but no one really cared to notice. The media even trumped up another Thanksgiving kicking incident (clearly unintentional) and an unsubstantiated report of taunting an injured Indianapolis Colt. Future Hall-of-Famer Warren Sapp has made a second career out of obsessing about everything Suh-related. Sapp has taken so many shots that even a fellow employee of NFL media, Kareem Copeland of NFL.com, had this to say about the NFL Network analyst in January:

I still haven’t figured out the Sapp-Suh beef,” Copeland wrote. “Former players are hired as analysts to give a perspective only gained from playing the game at a high level. That’s his job. But there always seems to be a Suh-doesn’t-do-what-I-did element.”

Sapp is an overexposed, overpaid, lousy NFL analyst. He gets by on his name and his loud mouth, but he really wishes he was on that football field, making the same mistakes that Suh has made or will make. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Copeland hits the nail on the head. Whenever I hear Sapp open up his yap and the word “Suh” comes out, I roll my eyes. I am not sure what Sapp has to gain from this feud, he had a career which will take him to the Hall of Fame later this summer. It just seems to be a bit of petty jealous on his part.

It’s the same thing people in their 30′s and 40′s do when they look at today’s college students–they can’t believe the choices these “kids” make, they didn’t do things like that in “their day,” and they’ll never make it in this world if they don’t change their ways. But all of that is a way of expressing jealousy–that they are doing what you enjoyed most during your life, and you’ll never have that slice of life back. Sapp is an overexposed, overpaid, lousy NFL analyst. He gets by on his name and his loud mouth, but he really wishes he was on that football field, making the same mistakes as Suh.

Back in December, Ndamukong called Sapp out and told him to put his money where his mouth is.

You have a guy that, in essence, criticizes me and says I’m doing things so horribly wrong and not playing up to my potential,” Suh said. ”Show me what you think I’m doing incorrectly…”

It appears Sapp passed on that opportunity in order to continue to spout his petty nonsense. The Copeland story from above was in response to fresh criticisms from Sapp in January, after Suh had asked for his tutelage.

Way to step up to a challenge, Warren.

Dec. 2, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) scrambles out of the pocket while being pressured by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (90) and defensive tackle Nick Fairley (98) in the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Lions defensive tackle has made headlines again this offseason. Fortunately it isn’t for legal problems this time around. Instead, it is for what he’s saying.

First he had the audacity (read with sarcasm) to “expect big things“, even going so far as to say the Detroit Lions are going to go to the Super Bowl.

Now he is on record as saying that he and Ndamukong Suh comprise the NFL’s best tandem of defensive tackles. Via DetroitLions.com:

“Of course,” Fairley said. “We’re going to give guys trouble, man. It’s like pick your poison this year with our defensive line. You cannot come in and double-team Ndamukong and you can’t come in and double-team me.

Both statements have been met with some ridicule from outsiders. Professional athletes don’t get where they are without a high level of confidence in their own abilities and high expectations for their own personal performance. The reaction I have received from Lions fans after Fairley expressed high expectations for both himself and the team, and even a Super Bowl, is that he is right to feel that way and to feel otherwise would represent a huge problem.

But what about his claim that he and Suh are the league’s best defensive tackle duo? It isn’t an outrageous claim based on their play a year ago. I took a look at the top ten defensive tackles based on the 2012 DT/NT ratings in the premium stats section of Pro Football Focus and paired each with his best performing teammate at the position. Here are the results in tabular form:

(note: the table is only eight teams long instead of ten because the Lions and Titans each placed two defensive tackles in PFF's top ten)

Geno Atkins has such a crazy good year for the Cincinnati Bengals that if you want to simply add the two ratings together it wouldn't matter who you paired with Atkins - they would be the "best" combination.

But if you maintain that "best pair" means both should contribute (unlike the Bengals' Peko who finished with a negative rating), it doesn't get any than Suh and Fairley.

Scanning the Savanna searches the web for Detroit Lions content each morning and brings it to your fingertips in one easy location.

Detroit Lions have seen strong participation in offseason training program
Tim Twentyman – DetroitLions.com

The Detroit Lions have had good participation since the start of their offseason training program April 15.

“I’m guessing we’re in the 85-to-90 percent range,” Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said before the draft.

“I’ve seen a lot of guys here and I was in the (initial) team meeting and it was pretty crowded in there. I’m excited about that.”

Jim Schwartz Most Definitely on Hot Seat Heading into 2013
Andrew Fisher – Rant Sports

The Detroit Lions are coming off quite a disappointing season in 2012. After finally breaking through to the playoffs in 2011, expectations were fairly high for Detroit last season. What transpired was a dreadful four-win campaign, and a last place finish in the NFC North.
Now heading into 2013, expectations are once again rising.

Lions Claim Two Off Waivers
Josh Alper – Pro Football Talk

Teams needing to make room on their rosters for draft picks and undrafted free agents have cut loose some veteran players this week and two of them have landed with the Lions on waivers.

Top draft pick Ansah ‘excited’ to play with Suh
Carlos Monarrez – Detroit Free Press

Lions defensive line coach Kris Kocurek whetted Ziggy Ansah’s appetite way back at the Senior Bowl in January when he spoke of Ndamukong Suh.

Playing with Suh would be any defensive end’s dream. Sure enough, Ansah found himself imagining that possibility as the NFL draft drew closer.

Lions’ Ndamukong Suh donates $250K to his former high school
Josh Katzenstein – The Detroit News

Ndamukong Suh is providing financial support to another one of his alma maters.

Through the Ndamukong Suh Family Foundation, the Lions star defensive tackle presented a $250,000 check to Grant High School in Portland on Thursday, according to The Oregonian.