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Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has earned a significant amount of praise for turning around the fortunes of a team that previously did not have much playoff success.
After the Lions dealt with so many injuries last season, many did not expect Campbell's squad would still finish the regular season with a 15-2 record.
Even though the team was eliminated in the playoffs early, Detroit's popular head coach was still given a significant amount of respect across the league for holding things together during a tumultuous season.
When PFF released their returning head coaches rankings, many were surprised that Campbell ended up ranking ninth out of 10 NFL coaches.
Sports radio host Mike Valenti was not surprised, and actually felt the strong reaction was not warranted by fans and pundits.
"National media hits the list and says Dan Campbell shown respect, makes the top-10. Local blogger-sphere, whatever you want to call it, and I'm not demeaning anybody -- let me be very clear, chase whatever you want to chase. If your passion is the Lions, you want to write about it, you eventually want to get in the media, do whatever you want to do," Valenti said. "But look at the headline, 'Massive Lions disrespect.' And I'm looking like, 'Did I read a different article? Did Dan Campbell not make the top-10, top-20? Did someone put Dan Campbell next to Brian Daboll?' Here's where Dan Campbell is on the Pro Football Focus list, and people are bent out of shape about it. And this is why, I truly believe, people talk about Trump derangement syndrome, I truly think there is a team derrangement syndrome, where people cannot talk about their teams anymore."
Campbell has yet to lead his team to a Super Bowl or finish a season hoisting a Lombardi Trophy, whereas many of the coaches ahead of him have several accolades on their resume that include Super Bowl appearances and wins.
"Dan Campbell is the highest-rated coach who has not won or much less been to a Super Bowl. There is no disrespect in that," Valenti said. "But if you look at the local media today, you would've thought that someone showed up to Dan Campbell's house and kicked him in the sack. No, actually it's appropriate that he is number nine. He blew a 17-point lead in the NFC title game and got aced out by a rookie last year. Nine is actually really respectful. This is the stuff I can't stand. Oh, now that's disrespect? No, it's not."
Valenti expressed bewilderment at the notion fans and pundits did not find the ranking quite fair, given what Campbell has yet to accomplish since taking over back in 2021.
"Here's the other thing, hate to break it to you. If they go out there this year and don't win a playoff game, or take a massive step backward, what conversation are you going to have? Still think he's the best coach in the league? We all like Dan Campbell," Valenti stated. "I find him insightful, entertaining, I think he's incredibly intelligent, and I think he's done an unbelieveable for our town and for this team. But that doesn't mean he's better than the guys ahead of him. That's not disrespect, it's called being an open-minded f'ing adult, which we've lost the ability to do in sports, because all we do now is Kremlin media."
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