In a story that has made national news, CBSSports.com columnist Mike Freeman said that Lions DT Ndamukong Suh is a dirty player.  Freeman backs up his case by saying this:

He no longer deserves the benefit of the doubt. There’s too much evidence to the contrary. That great smile, nice off-field demeanor and cool ass car commercial can no longer shield him from what has become a definite. He plays dirty.

And I like Suh. A lot. He brings a nastiness to the Detroit Lions, a desire to intimidate that is changing the culture of one of the biggest losers in all of sports. This is good. No, this is great. The Lions are going to be good again and it’s Suh’s talent and aggression serving as the fusion for change.

Freeman also compares Suh and Lions fans defense of him via Twitter and other outlets as the “Danny Ainge Syndrome,” meaning that fans only love these guys if they are on the hometown team, but the rest of the league despises them.  I don’t think that is the case what so ever, fans all over the league cheer for Suh and appreciate the intensity he brings to the team.  Seeing a guy like Suh coming straight for another fan’s starting quarterback may be unsettling to most fans, but he does have the respect around the league as being a hard worker and helping to “Restore the Roar” in Detroit.

Now does Suh need to show some sort of restraint, maybe.  His intensity and drive are what make him one of the best defensive tackles in the league.  Freeman does have a point in saying that Suh has had three fines and four personal fouls in less than two years, but the league has shown it will defend the quarterbacks and has fined accordingly.  Suh just needs to continue to play until the whistle and know how and when to finish a tackle.