Lions to Make Stafford No. 1 Draft Pick

He smashed into a light pole, tree in Portland

(NEWSER) - Controversial Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh—who you might remember from the time he smashed an opponent’s head into the turf on Thanksgiving—crashed his car in spectacular fashion in downtown Portland a little after 1 am this morning, careening onto a curb and hitting a light pole, a drinking fountain, and a tree, police tell the Oregonian . Suh and his two passengers were unharmed, and his car, a 1970 Chevy coupe, has been towed. More»

Ndamukong Suh denies it, but video is hard to dispute

(NEWSER) - The Detroit Lions' Ndamukong Suh showed a huge Thanksgiving Day audience exactly why he is considered one of the NFL's dirtiest players. The defensive tackle was ejected in the third quarter of the Lions' 27-15 loss to the Green Bay Packers after the replay showed him pushing the head of Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith into the turf, then stomping on the player's right arm, ESPN reports. (See video at NFL.com here .) More»

No surprise: Panthers draft Auburn star

(NEWSER) - The No. 1 pick in this year's NFL draft is—no drum roll necessary—Auburn quarterback Cam Newton. As expected, the Carolina Panthers picked him first, reports ESPN . Newton won this year's Heisman and led Auburn to the national title. The draft's first round runs tonight, followed by subsequent rounds tomorrow and Saturday. The top 5 picks:

1. Cam Newton: Auburn QB goes to Carolina
2. Von Miller: Texas A&M linebacker goes to Denver
3. Marcell Dareus: Alabama defensive tackle goes to Buffalo
4. AJ Green: Georgia wide receiver goes to Cincinnati
5. Patrick Peterson: LSU defensive back goes to Arizona

Game was relocated after Metrodome roof collapsed

(NEWSER) - When the Minnesota Vikings play the New York Giants in Detroit tonight, every seat in the house will be free. The game was relocated to Ford Field, home of the Lions, after the Minnesota Metrodome's roof collapsed under heavy snow . Detroit was chosen partially because Fox Sports was already there for last night's Lions game, the Free Press reports. "It's going to be great," says one Lions season ticket holder. "It's going to be packed." More»

Joe Paquette Jr. walks to team's front door, bringing 'sisu'

(NEWSER) - A 63-year-old Lions fans walked 425 miles to training camp, aiming to inspire his team to reach new heights this season, the Detroit News reports. Joe Paquette Jr. says he made the trip from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to a Detroit suburb to give the Lions a little "sisu"—a Finnish word loosely translated as "determination" or "guts." Coach Jim Schwartz and some players greeted Paquette with a personalized jersey, WDIV reports . More»