In his first press conference as a member of the Lions, guard Rob Sims compared his new city to his old one, Seattle.
“This is a football town,” Sims said Tuesday, per John Niyo of the Detroit News. “Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit. I mean, that’s football. Football and cars. This is more of what I’m accustomed to. Out there [in Seattle] the stars are Bill Gates and Paul Allen and the people that run Boeing. This here is what being in the NFL is supposed to be about, [standing] up here at the mic talking to reporters and stuff. In Seattle, it’s not like that. It’s drinking coffee, sittin’ down and chit-chatting. This is a change, but it’s a change that I’ve been looking forward to.”
It’s unclear how long Sims will be playing in his new football town. He’s operating under a one-year tender offer that he signed last week, with no current negotiations regarding an extension.
“Right now, we’re not talking about anything,” Sims said. “Hopefully, I can prove to them that I deserve one. I would like to be here long-term. I hope this isn’t just one year and out. But I’ve got to earn that. I’ve got to come in here and show them that I belong and show them I can be here for a long time.”
The Lions had better be careful. If they get too many guys who think like Sims, they may actually win more games than they lose.