The Detroit Lions head coach, Dan Campbell, had a unique idea to enhance the gameday experience, but the NFL denied his request. In a recent interview on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take,” Campbell revealed that his desire to have a live lion on the sideline was not supported by the league.
He initially brought up the idea when he became head coach before the 2020 season, and team owner Sheila Hamp Ford was supportive.
However, Campbell acknowledged that the league does not approve of such arrangements.
Despite his disappointment, he refrained from blaming NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for the denial. Campbell first mentioned the idea of having a pet lion in May 2021, expressing his desire for it to accompany him during various football activities.
However, he acknowledged the potential challenges of obtaining approval from organizations like PETA.
“Sheila, she had no problem with it, but the league apparently frowns on those types of things,” he said, adding that he would not throw NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell under the bus for the denial.
“I’m not gonna point out Roger on this, I’m just gonna say the league frowns on that, let’s just say that,” he added.
Campbell first introduced the idea of a Lion back in 2001.
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to do it, but I would love to literally just have a pet lion. Just a legit pet lion on a chain, a big-a– chain, and he really is my pet,” he said at the time. “We just walk around the building, we go out to practice, we’re at 7-on-7, we’re behind the kicker when he’s kicking. There we are.”
He added, “The problem is I don’t know if PETA’s going to allow that, though. It’s gonna be hard. Believe me, though, we would take great care of it. It would be fed well, it would be petted, it would be manicured. I might end up losing an arm because of it, but that would be even better because it would validate what, this is a freaking, this is a creature now. This is an animal. This thing, this is from the wild.”
Dan Detroit. pic.twitter.com/1zinvlvzsk
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) May 18, 2021
While some professional football teams, like the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, have live mascots, incidents like Taima the augur buzzard harassing a fan have raised concerns.
Therefore, introducing a lion to Ford Field, where the Lions play their home games, may not be a wise choice.
Nevertheless, there are high expectations for the Lions heading into the 2023 season after a promising 9-8 record almost secured them a playoff spot.
With Aaron Rodgers’ departure from the Green Bay Packers, the NFC North division seems more open, further fueling the team’s ambitions.
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