Sports have rules for a reason and at times, whether they like it or not, athletes face punishment for acting outside of them.

This is the case for the defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions, Ndamukong Suh. Suh was ejected from the Thanksgiving Day game against the Green Bay Packers after stomping on a player’s arm following a tackle.

His apology after the game left me confused. He didn’t apologize to the player he stomped on, but he said “I’m sorry” to his fans, his teammates and the coaching staff. This was confusing to me because I thought it was obvious that he stomped on the opposing player and wasn’t simply losing his balance when the altercation occurred.

Suh was recently voted the dirtiest player by other players of the National Football League (NFL). I can see why he doesn’t want to have this title follow him throughout his career. However, his actions have supported this fact. He even had a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about how he has been playing and how he could play within the rules.

For his actions, Suh received a two-game suspension from the NFL. The Lions decided not to punish him. He could also have been fined, but he makes enough money to afford fines.

The only punishment Suh received came from the NFL. I think the Lions should have stepped up and punished him as well. I cannot deny he is a good football player, but he isn’t the type of player I want to be the face of the organization.

Suh appealed his suspension, but after a few days of deliberation, the NFL upheld it. Should Suh have appealed it? I don’t think so. He knew he was in the wrong. He wouldn’t have had two different apologies if he was just “losing his balance.”

The two games Suh will miss are against the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings. As a fan, I will miss having him out on the field because he is a force to be reckoned with; the Lions need that type of presence in order to make the playoffs. But as a critic, I believe he deserves to miss the two games.

He won’t learn his lesson and become a less dirty player if he continues to act this way on the field and receives no punishment. The only request I have of the NFL is that similar actions by other players should also be penalized.

I think the NFL targets the players they hear about the most. Since Suh is suspended for this, then if a similar situation occurs with two different players, the same punishment should be given to the player who caused the incident. I know the world isn’t completely fair, but it does seem like the NFL targeted Suh.

In the end, rules are rules, and players need to follow them. Rules are instituted for a reason and if a punishment is given, it should be accepted, especially if a player knows what he did wrong.

[WRITER’S NOTE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE DECEMBER 2011 EDITION OF “THE PULSE”]