Lions President Tom Lewand will be suspended 30 days and fined $100,000 for violating NFL's Personal Conduct Policy following his OWI.
Roger Goodell really brought down the hammer on Lewand, and I don't really have a problem with it. Selfishly, though, I hope the suspension doesn't take effect until the Lions get Ndamukong Suh signed, as I don't want there to be any more potential holdups between the two sides.
UPDATE: The suspension doesn't begin until Aug. 25.
Tom Lewand's thirty day suspension will begin August 25. Can't go to facilities, games and can't represent the Lions unless it's with MADD [...] can resume his duties on September 24 after his 30-day suspension.
Statements from both Lewand and William Clay Ford can be found after the jump.
"I remain committed to accepting all of the consequences of my actions, including those in the Commissioner's decision. I am deeply grateful for the support I have received from the Ford family, the Lions organization, numerous colleagues and many of our tremendous fans. Most important, my focus today is on moving forward to help our team and our organization prepare for an exciting 2010 season.''
Ford:
"Tom continues to have my full support. I applaud him for the way he owned up to his mistake and for how he has openly and positively dealt with this situation.
"We have a strong organization, thanks in large part to Tom's leadership since he became team President, and I am confident that our organization will be able to operate efficiently until Tom returns from the League-imposed sanction.''