When news first broke about Titus Young's alleged fight (or sucker punch, as it was later reported) with Louis Delmas, it was reported that Young was asked to stay away from the Detroit Lions' facility for the time being. A follow-up report stated that Young wasn't allowed to attend the team's workouts, which is why he was absent from Monday's OTA session.
On Tuesday, Tim Twentyman reported that the original reports were inaccurate, at least about what discipline Young had received. Specifically, Twentyman wrote that although the incident between Young and Delmas did happen, "his absence Monday was not the result of any punitive action by the team." What's more, Twentyman reports that Young hasn't been told to "stay away from the facility" and he hasn't been suspended.
Even if Young hasn't officially been suspended or told that he's not allowed at the facility, I have to agree with Kevin Seifert on this one. To me, it sounds like a case of semantics. Have the Lions officially suspended Young? No, apparently, but that doesn't mean he escaped punishment, as Seifert wrote on ESPN.com today.
But are we truly to believe the Lions took no action after one of their team leaders got punched at the team facility, especially after a 2011 season that raised questions about the team's maturity and discipline? Young's absence might not have been the result of a formal suspension, but for the Lions' sake, I hope they are doing something in response to this incident.
Personally, I don't buy the notion that Young decided to voluntarily skip Monday's OTA session, and I don't buy that he voluntarily skipped an outing with his fellow wide receivers at last Friday's Tigers game. While there may not have been any official discipline from the Lions and they very well may not have ordered him to stay away, I certainly think it was communicated by the team that it was best for Young to not be around for the time being.
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