Whether the Detroit Lions will be good in Dan Campbell’s first season as head coach remains a mystery. But at the very least, they will be entertaining as Campbell seeks to change the culture in Detroit.
Campbell has some very eye-opening quotes in his first few months on the job with the Lions, somehow finding ways to top them every time he speaks. The latest one demonstrates how bad Campbell wants to win a Super Bowl for a franchise that hasn’t won a championship since 1957 — with just one playoff victory since that title.
The Lions head coach actually wants a pet lion at Lions practice in his first season on the job, explaining how it could motivate his team on the Pardon My Take podcast.
“A legit pet lion on a chain, a big a– chain,” Campbell said. “We literally just walk around the building, go out to practice. On seven-on-seven we’re behind the kicker when he’s kicking. On command you can train him, like if one of your groups isn’t doing well you can take him over to their section and just have him take a dump where they are at and bring him on back.
“Think about it. It would be outstanding.”
Campbell would love to have the lion, but knows it’s a dream considering how it would mess with the workplace.
“I don’t know if the team is going to allow that, but we would take great care of it,” Campbell said. “It would be fed well, it would be petted, it would be manicured. I may end up losing an arm because of it, but that would be even better because it would validate — this is a freakin’ creature. This is an animal, this is from the wild.”
Campbell said he would give up that arm if it guaranteed the Lions won the Super Bowl, a sign of how bad he wants to win a championship in Detroit. Based on the things Campbell has said this offseason, it’s hard to tell if he’s actually kidding regarding having a lion around.
Regardless of if the lion wish comes true, Campbell is rejuvenating the franchise in any way he can. The true test will be the results on the field.
