Suh: Loved and Hated

Nebraskans love Ndamukong Suh. We thank him for being a genuine star, for contributing to our community, and for even helping to reshape the course of Husker football. Adults and children alike wear his jersey - and not just his Husker jersey, his Detroit Lions jersey - here in the Cornhusker state. But, the fact is, Ndamukong Suh is not well liked by most folks right now.

The results of a Forbes survey released today show that Suh is among the ten most disliked athletes in America today. He actually ranks 4th on the list, only behind such luminaries as Michael Vick (a convicted felon and dog fighter), Tiger Woods (a philandering scum bag) and Plaxico Burress (also a felon, but for gun charges). Suh's biggest sin is not for off-the-field activity, but for his actions on the turf. It's an incredible turn of the public opinion tide for Suh. Just last year, a separate Forbes survey listed him among the most well-liked players in the NFL.

In both Nebraska and in Detroit, Suh is thoughtful and soft spoken. He is generous with his time and his money. But, his aggressive style of play is a turn off. Penalties for unnecessary roughness and his suspension for stomping another player (during one of the most highly-watched games of the year) are huge turn offs to the public. Few can stomach those kinds of behaviors. Suh's reaction to the stomping issue was worse. Americans love contrition. You can make mistakes and people will eventually forgive you as long as you are genuinely sorry. Following the stomp-seen-round-the-world, Suh was hardly contrite. He made excuses. Then, he appeared almost defiant to some as he did not amend is style of play considerable as the year went on. As the new survey shows, that won't fly very far with the public.

The negative publicity has and will cost Suh some money. Companies typically don't want somebody who considered a villain to endorse them. That doesn't mean his reputation can't be renovated. The more he continues to show the public the thoughtful and generous person that Nebraskans and Detroit residents came to know and admire, the better off he will be.

Here's some free advice for Suh: as a general rule, don't stomp another person. And, if you do stomp somebody for whatever reason, please be sincerely apologetic about it. Other than that, keep playing hard and helping people, Ndamukong.