On the popular “Pardon My Take” podcast, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said that he wanted an actual lion at the team facility as a motivational tool.
It was clear that he was joking but there was one organization which took the quip seriously: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA.
So logically, they’re sending a lion to Campbell and the Lions. It’s a plush toy lion, but a lion nonetheless.
“Dan Detroit” is headed to Allen Park as a gift from the animal rights protection group. PETA also sent Campbell a letter regarding his comments about having a lion.
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“No lion belongs in a barren cage or on a chain,” PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said in a statement. “If Coach Campbell makes Dan Detroit part of the Lions’ entourage, he’ll help PETA spread the message that lions are wild animals, not mascots, props, or ‘pets.’”
The organization also sent Campbell a gift basket filled with vegan goodies, including lion-shaped chocolates.
No, there were no vegan kneecaps.
PETA is often on the front lines of protecting animals from being used as mascots or props. Which makes you wonder, are they going to end up sending plush Eagles, Bears, Falcons and Ravens to Philly, Chicago, Atlanta and Baltimore?
Then again, Soldier Field in Chicago already got rid of a stuffed Bear this offseason: Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is now in Buffalo.
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