Courtesy Photo-Le'Veon Bell
When people think of East Lansing, Michigan, the vision of the colors green and white come to mind coupled with the pride of the great Michigan State University and all that it stands for. In the last two weeks, that image has been marred with tragedy due to the Larry Nassar case and discussions the school’s college basketball team making another run to the NCAA Final Four have been replaced with YouTube images of Judge Rosemarie Aquilina taking the center stage and dishing out the justice that this community asks of her. While the tone of the Lansing, Michigan area tries to recover, we are left with carnage in the way of the resignation of Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon and Athletic Director Mark Hollis leaving their positions in an attempt to mitigate the harm. All of the power and prestige that is Michigan State University has suddenly become placed in the same conversations as Penn State University was in the midst of the Jerry Sandusky tragedy. There is no question that our great state has a black eye and while it will recover in time, one thing that always brings us together is sports and this article is a call for the Detroit Lions to do their part in helping us heal. One thing that could bridge this tragic gap would be the signing of Le’Veon Bell.
Couresy Photo-Michigan State University Sign
Le’Veon Bell will be a free agent this offseason. Bell was a star at Michigan State and has very close ties to the Lansing community. The Detroit Lions are a team that are in desperate need of improving their running game and Bell is clearly the best running back in the National Football League. The signing of Bell would bring him back to his beloved college town and instantly make the Lions a Super Bowl contender.
Many will argue that the price tag on a player such as Bell will be too much for the Lions to handle after the Matthew Stafford signing last year but the Ford Family can afford it. With a new coaching staff coming in, this could be the dawn of a new age in Lions football.
Tim Wilkins, a lifelong resident of Michigan and Detroit Lions fan spoke on the issue. Wilkins said, “I have family that are all proud of be Alumni of Michigan State. Most of them are also Detroit Lions fans. In sports, we find peace and now is a time when we need peace more than ever. Signing Le’Veon Bell will not even come close to fixing this tragedy but it would be a sign of solidarity that we stand together in times of crisis. I hope that Bob Quinn and the Ford’s make this move because this is not just about football, this is about restoring hope in our community.”
If there is one thing that Michiganders have always been, it is resilient. This is a time period that will never be forgotten but the healing process needs to begin quickly. A winning Detroit Lions team and a former Michigan State star leading the way could be a small sign that we do stand together. Let’s hope that the Lions are reading this article.
William Amadeo is a Partner at the law firm Ann Arbor Legal in Ann Arbor, Michigan and a Senior Associate at Grabel and Associates. In addition to his legal duties, he owns and operates BAT Tutoring in Lansing, Michigan with fellow attorney Ashley Johnson and is a staff writer for “The Chronicle News” and a number of other blogs. He can be reached at: Amadeo@McManuspllc.com or Williamamadeo@grabellaw.com.