Clubhouse Article

Viewer Vote: Beast Mode !!

February 7th, 2012 by Colin M Jarman

My favorite definition of Beast Mode is: “Superhuman state of being, in which pure animal instinct takes over mind, body and soul. A state of physical superiority or athletic awesomeness that is near impossible to defend against or control.”

There is, apparently, some Beast Mode link to a computer game – but the only games I am interested in are fought out by mortal humans on a defined playing area with a ball, puck and/or stick or some persuasion.

Beast Mode has taken on a whole level of interest in 2012. Everyone is in “Mode a la Bete” or whatever the clever French would poetically call it. Just look at these recent headlines to see which sports and stars are in ful BM.

“It’s Beast Mode in Detroit with a king-sized deal for Prince Fielder!”
Scott Kendrick, About.com Jan 24 2012

“The Wildcats are in Beast Mode right now. They’re just crushing teams.”
ESPN’s Andy Katz on #1 UK’s defeat of LSU Jan 29th

“Evgeni Malkin enters Beast Mode vs. Tampa: Hat trick, 5 points, spectacular goal!”
Yahoo Sports Jan 15th

So Baseball, Basketball and Hockey all profess to having stars in Beast Mode but Pro Football lays claim to having the most players who regulary turn up the BM meter to 11.

Marshawn Lynch (Seahawks), LeGarrette Blount (Bucs) and Rob Gronkowski (Pats) garner a lot of media votes for title of “NFL’s Top Beast Moder” … but they all pale into insignificance against the #1 NFL Beast – Ndamukong Suh (Lions).

Suh was a handful coming out of college at Nebraska where he won the College Football Player of the Year Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy. He also finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. But his stature, meanness, temper and sheer beastliness ramped up when he hit the pros courtesy of a second overall pick behind the Rams’ Sam Bradford (how St Louis wishes they had that pick back!)

In two years in the NFL, he has been flagged for nine personal fouls, fined $42,500 for violations including stomping on Packers’ offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith and has been voted “League’s Dirtiest Player” by his fellow pros.

So, is Suh the biggest beast in team sport?

Let’s let you the ESPN America viewers decide with our Beast Mode poll. To make it simple I have picked the player I consider the biggest beast in their sport to go up against Suh – mano-a-mano-a-mano … Zdeno Chara of the NHL Bruins [below left] and Blake Griffin from the NBA Clippers [below right]. Who do you think is the biggest beast in their sport? Vote in the poll on the right.