Are Lions an Undisciplined Team?

With the recent arrest of Aaron Berry, there are once again, ramblings of the Detroit Lions being an undisciplined team. Some place the problems on Schwartz and others put it on Mayhew for drafting these players. A few even blame the leaders of the Lions locker-room for not doing their jobs. I say it is time to take a deep breath and stop worrying about that.

Is it Schwartz, not keeping a disciplined team in order? No! If it was the veterans of the team having these problems, then I might say to look at Schwartz. Its not the veterans. It is the youngest of the players and there is only so much a coach can do to keep tabs on players he is not around in the off-season.

Maybe we should look at Mayhew then. Is he doing his homework on these players before he drafts them? Trust me. Martin Mayhew is doing everything he should be doing. He is not drafting trouble makers. These guys are not going out and shooting guns in nightclubs, getting into brawls, or getting busted for any heavy drugs. They are getting arrested for drinking and driving and having weed on them.

Dont get me wrong. I am not meaning to make out DUI's and Smoking pot as minor things. These are bad things and they should be disciplined for it, but they are also the troubles that come from being irresponsible. Not from having a bad attitude or a criminal mentality.

So what about the leaders of the Locker room? Are they not doing their jobs in leading these young kids? I will answer that with another question. Are these players getting into repeated trouble since they have been on the team? A leader's job is not to hold the younger players hands and walk them around to make sure they do not get into any trouble. They are to be there to guide these kids after they get into trouble so they do not continue to get in trouble. So far, each player that has gotten into trouble, has not done anything else after the veterans have had their talks with them.

The problem here is more of a case that these players are not mature enough yet, to handle themselves with the kind of money they are making. Often, they are players who have never had a lot in their lives and suddenly find themselves with all the money in the world. Then in the off-season, they have all of the time in the world as well. They are young, in excellent health and full of energy, and have the money to find ways to have fun and use up the excess energy. Unfortunately, this often leads to partying. Where partying is involved, there is bound to be a few who drink and drive and a few who smoke weed. Sometimes you will even have a player who thinks he is God's gift and is above the rules, and that attitude amplifies when they are partying.


It is unfortunate that this happens. It is sad that it has happened so much to Lions players this year. It is coincidence that it has happened to the Lions after a season where they went through their share of troubles of undisciplined play on the field. But until it starts happening to the veterans, or these younger players continue to get in trouble multiple times, I will not blame Schwartz, Mayhew or the teams leaders. For now it is a case of young players having too much money, too much time, and not enough maturity.