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Any time you hear Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell speak, it’s easy to see why his players always compete so hard for him.
Undoubtedly one of the most passionate coaches in the league, Campbell has used his combination of personality and football knowledge to bring the Lions back to competitiveness.
Sometimes, though, Campbell’s trademark passion and energy can perhaps be channeled into the wrong avenues, such as his apparent desire to have a real lion on the sideline during games.
“[Detroit Lions owner] Sheila Ford Hamp, she had no problem with it [having a lion on the field], but the league apparently frowns on those types of things,” Campbell said during a recent interview on the Pardon My Take podcast.
“I’m not gonna point out Roger on this, I’m just gonna say the league frowns on that, let’s just say that.”
The idea of a live mascot in the NFL certainly isn’t unprecedented,
Campbell and the Lions head into the season looking to build on a 2022 campaign that saw them finish as one of the hottest teams in the entire league and just barely miss out on the playoffs.
Heading into the 2023 season, the Lions won’t be able to play the role of underdogs anymore, though, as they’re the current betting favorites to win the NFC North now that Aaron Rodgers has left the division.
The Lions are certainly being treated like playoff contenders as the NFL scheduled them to play in the opening game of the season against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, September 7.
With about five weeks to go (at the time of this writing) until the Thursday Night Football matchup between Kansas City and Detroit, Campbell’s Lions currently find themselves as 7-point underdogs in the contest, which will be the first game of the 2023 season.