In a city both rightly and wrongly identified for skirmishes that have occurred within its limits, today’s battle at the Allen Park training facility demonstrates that the trend of fighting will continue in this town. As one commentator pointed out, fights frequently happen towards the end of the day when players have hit one another repeatedly for a lengthy period of time. While this becomes the same drill every summer, players will get angry at camp and battle with each other. Dewayne White and Jeff Backus are the latest list of offenders – two key components to any Lions success this upcoming season.
The fact that it was White and Backus dueling in the sun made this story even more interesting for who these two players represent. Backus is a Michigan man who was drafted by the Lions. He has been on the team through its Silverdome days and its many horrifying seasons of recent memory. He has cashed hefty paychecks along the way without ever showing spectacular athleticism or exceptional skill. White on the other hand was brought in for his tremendous knowledge of the Tampa Two. As a player in their position, White is by far the superior player between these two overpaid Lions – not bragging rights by any means.
