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Another reason the Detroit Lions are cursed


RyanB06

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I don't see how this is a reason the Lions stink. When they drafted him, the policy at the time would have let him play, now policy won't let him. Were they suppose to know that the Army was going to change policy beforehand?

I once had a car but I crashed it. I once had a guitar but I smashed it. I once, wait where am I going with this?

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I don't see how this is a reason the Lions stink. When they drafted him, the policy at the time would have let him play, now policy won't let him. Were they suppose to know that the Army was going to change policy beforehand?

Not to mention the fact that he was a 7th round pick. It's not like he was going to be the difference between 5-11 and a playoff run. He might not of even made the team.

 

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OK, I guess "stink" wasn't the right word. I changed it to "cursed" - may be more accurate, I don't know.

Still, the point remains that it's a 7th round draft pick you're talking about. He was one step above a free agent signing. I don't think any of this means much of anything.

 

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Seems kinda weak on the Army's part if you ask me. Get his hopes up that he may be playing professional football for the Lions, and now he's going to war. Oh yeah, sounds like a wonderful trade off.

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On 11/19/2012 at 7:23 PM, oldschoolvikings said:
She’s still half convinced “Chris Creamer” is a porn site.)
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Seems kinda weak on the Army's part if you ask me. Get his hopes up that he may be playing professional football for the Lions, and now he's going to Iraq. Oh yeah, sounds like a wonderful trade off.

Bombing the bad guys for your country...bombing on the football field...same thing, right?

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I was against the whole thing from the beginning.

I didn't like the fact that if you were drafted by an NFL team, you could just run away from the Army.

When Detroit picked him, it ended up that Caleb Campbell went to West Point to play football. End of story.

That just isn't right.

What pissed me off even more was when reporters were calling his drafting by the Lions something like "the heartwarming story of the year".

What the hell?

It's heartwarming that a man training to serve for your country, decides to skip out on that, and just opt out to be playing football?

It's heartwarming that he would just be a hypocritical recruiter? "Join the Army! Serve your country! I didn't, I played football... but that's beside the point."

You enter West Point to learn be a soldier, not a football player. After saying that being professional football player "is your calling", how are your mates serving with you going to feel about you being a soldier now? How is Campbell gonna explain this hiccup in "his calling"?

"Well you know guys, serving for the U.S. wasn't my first choice, I'd rather play sports, but now that I'm here I'm 100% dedicated, even though, I would really rather be strapping on a different kind of helmet right now..."

Luckily the Army got a clue for once, and changed the policy.

It's just the thought that a skilled and athletic member of the military would be allowed to do something other than serve, especially when their nation is at war, and then be a recruiter, is mind boggling.

I don't mean to start anything by saying all this, don't get me wrong, I'm still the same ol' democrat I've always been, but it's something that I've been thinking about for awhile.

/rant

Now is it unfair that the Army changes their desicion on the eve of training camp? Yes.

Could it have been managed better? Of course.

Do I sound like Rumsfeld with all these rhetorical questions? Absolutley.

You know, I rarely visit ccslsc anymore. I really should fix that.

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Couldn't agree with you more on the basic absurdity of the rule, averyj. But I somehow doubt that the men in his command will hold wanting to go into the NFL against him, especially when the Army created and promoted the rule that would have let him do it.

But haven't we known for months that the Army was considering changing its policy?

EDIT: never mind, it was Navy that previously dropped the Alternative Service Program.

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Can't remember which branch he was in, and I'm sure he wasn't the first, but one military branch just blocked a Cardinals (baseball) draft pick from signing, instead telling him he must serve.

I see both sides.

I certainly don't see it as unfair on the military's part. But I also don't think it's a slap in the face on the part the draftee.

To be willing to go to war and serve our country is something that should be admired. And most who do so take great pride in it. But I'm not sure it's many of their "dreams". Playing professional sports often is, and I can't blame them for wanting to do so in the years they can and serve after.

But like I said, I understand both sides.

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While this rule struck me as odd because it didn't apply to all service academies but you can't change the rules mid-game. He should have been grandfathered in. That be like the NFL changing scoring for field goal to 10 pts and not only doing it mid-season, but at the 9:47 mark of the 3rd quarter.

Athletic Director: KTU Blue Grassers Football

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My thoughts are that the Army dropped the ball twice on this one.

First, they should have made the ruling that he had to serve his time before the draft occurred.

Second, and the far bigger mistake IMO, they should have let him play. He could have been used as a great recruiting tool in the economically depressed city of Detroit. The army is having problems getting people to sign up, so they choose to make one guy go serve when they could have easily used him to help entice non-college bound high schoolers enlist. I'm not saying I would agree with this practice either, but it seems like it would have been the smart move on their part.

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I don't think letting him play does much for recruiting at all. Seriously, who the hell is this guy? A 1st or 2nd rounder is a recruitment and promotion opportunity. A 7th rounder is a guy avoiding military service. The guy made the commitment in exchange for his education. It's only two years, and maybe he'll avoid time in the war zone.

As for the Lions, they knew it was possible they'd have to wait for Campbell's availability when they drafted him. This isn't a big deal.

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"One of my concerns is shysters show up and take advantage of people's good will and generosity".

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