Ndamukong Suh, What's up with you?

An event happened in the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day game that has everyone talking, and since I love NFL football I feel the need to jump in!  Defensive Lineman Ndamukong Suh hit the head of Green Bay Packer's guard Evan Dietrich-Smith into the ground 3 times and then stomped on his arm while walking away.  Here's a video of what happened:

And just to add insult to injury, here's what Suh said after the game:

If somehow you bought any of that, please go back and watch video #1.

Of course everyone in the NFL has a different way of expressing their opinion on this, but I am happy to observe that everyone is in agreement on this one thing:  There is NO place for that behavior in the NFL.  Thankfully, Commissioner Roger Goodell tends to have a pretty heavy hand for this kind of thing, so I suspect I will agree with whatever decision he makes next week. 

This event is being likened to the "Albert Haynesworth stomp" of 2006.  Haynesworth stomped his helmet-less opponent on the head.  Haynesworth was ejected from the game and suspended for 5 additional games.  Considering the fact that Suh has been fined 3 times already for unsportsmanlike conduct many think in addition to another fine, Suh will be suspended for 2 games.  After careful consideration of this possible 2-5 game suspension, I have decided I want to see a 4-game suspension:

Game 1:  Head butt #1
Game 2:  Head butt #2
Game 3:  Head butt #3
Game 4:  Stomp on the arm

The BEST part of a 4-game suspension is that there will be 1 game left for Suh to play in the season.  And guess who the Lions will be playing?  The Green Bay Packers...again...IN Green Bay!!   And Green Bay can settle this the way it's supposed to be settled...by beating the Detroit Lions.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

This week I heard someone speaking to a group of people say something to the effect, "Just in case you didn't know, Thanksgiving isn't all about food."  That struck me a little funny at the time since the first Thanksgiving was literally all about the fact that the Pilgrims finally had food!  I know the point he was making...let's not gorge ourselves all day like mindless fools.  But as I contemplate our Thanksgiving banquet table this year, 2 thoughts keep popping up:

1)  I'm thankful for the food.  This year my family had some financial surprises that threw us for a loop.  For a few months, I was digging in the pantry on more than one occasion to pull out some canned tuna just to make it to pay day.  It wasn't pleasant!  Am I trying to say it was anywhere near what some people experience every day, every week?  No.  But did it teach me to be thankful for canned tuna?  Absolutely!  And when I bought groceries this week to make our Thanksgiving meal, I was particularly mindful that if that financial shock had happened in November, we would be eating tuna for Thanksgiving...and we would be thankful we were eating at all. 

2)  Jesus told a parable of a great supper to symbolize grace.  In Luke 14:15-23 we read that a man had prepared a feast, but everyone he invited had an excuse for not attending.  This man wanted his house full and all his food eaten, so he told his servants to go get the poor, sick, blind, and lame.  This is the invitation made by Christ.  His grace extends to everyone!  Sadly, those who often have their lives "together" don't recognize their need for the feast!  It's only those who admit their own need that cling to Christ's invitation.  So as I gaze on our Thanksgiving meal this year, I will ponder how that abundance of food represents the abundant, mercy-filled life that I live.

Aren't you glad you have been invited to the feast?