Has Dan Campbell been ‘Lionized’ already?

Dan Campbell is a straight shooter

The question is easily asked–has Dan Campbell been ‘Lionized’? Only time will tell for sure, but everyone is jumping on that negative bandwagon a little early.

The fans and media need to remember that Campbell has been a straight-shooter since his arrival. He has practically told everyone everything he was going to do before he did it.

Considering the general state of the NFL and all the coach-speak and spin-doctoring that occurs, no one knows how to react to someone like Campbell.

At Campbell’s inaugural press conference, after espousing the game plan of biting knee caps, he got emotional about how much he wanted the Lions job.

From there Campbell has been candid in answering questions about everything, from his players’ performances to his own shortcomings, in recent weeks. No subject has been taboo.

Despite the criticism of knee cap-biting and wearing a racing helmet in honor of being named the Grand Marshal of the Detroit Grand Prix, Campbell has not put on any facades. He has been himself the entire time.

Every reaction, and every answer Campbell gives is genuine. After the covert world of Matt Patricia, where even his cologne was considered top secret, this is almost revolutionary.

That also means when the emotions were right near the surface after the Lions’ latest heartbreak, it wasn’t an admission of defeat. It was instead what he told us–utter disappointment.

Campbell is saddled with a bad team. However, while he genuinely likes the effort his players are giving him, they’re just not good enough to overcome their own mistakes. He has admitted that their margin for error is very slim. That is as close as he will come to throwing his players under the bus.

Campbell can and will be very candid, but he won’t bash his players. That’s the No. 1 reason they’re buying into what he’s selling. It’s why they give him great effort, even if it’s not quite been good enough to win.

Sooner or later the Lions will need to win in order to validate Campbell and his way of doing things. But for right now, despite some awful heartbreaks and major testing, Campbell hasn’t been ‘Lionized’ yet. Maybe that term can turn to take on a positive connotation before too long.