Cowboys Ex Dan Campbell Wants Live Lion - 'My Big-A** Pet!' - on Sideline

Cowboys ex Dan Campbell, now the coach in Detroit, is proposing that he be allowed to have an actual lion on the sideline during NFL games while acknowledging, "I might end up losing an arm because of it!''

Dan Campbell was a colorful character way before he became the "kneecap-biting'' head coach of the Detroit Lions. during his time (2003 to 2005) as a 6-5, 265-pound tight end with the Dallas Cowboys, he wore his Texas roots on his sleeve, he wore his hair long, and he used toughness as his calling card.

He is now of course identified with the Lions ... and wishes to be be further identified as the owner of an actual lion ... that he would have on a chain ... and that would be present on the sideline during actual Lions games.

Campbell is now telling the story of his proposed change to the in-game entertainment at Ford Field - a plan that the NFL obviously rejected.

"(Team ownership) had no problem with it, but the league apparently frowns on those types of things," Campbell said on the Pardon My Take podcast. I don't think we're going to be able to do it, but I would love to literally just have a pet lion. Just a legit pet lion on a chain, a big-a** chain, and he really is my pet.''

Campbell is trying to be funny. Well, actually, Campbell is funny, and always has been, He made note of the fact that animal rights groups would've likely "frowned'' on the idea as well - though we must say, the University of Colorado has its live buffalo and the University of Texas has its live longhorn ...

But no. Because, you see, a buffalo would not eat a Colorado fan. And a longhorn would not eat a Texas fan.

Still, Campbell swears that he would oversee the safety - of the lion, anyway, saying, "Believe me, though, we would take great care of it. It would be fed-well, it would be petted, it would be manicured.

Yeah, yeah. But what about the "eating-people'' part, Coach?

"I might end up losing an arm because of it, but that would be even better because it would validate what, this is a freaking, this is a creature now!'' Campbell said, fired up about his tale. "This is an animal. This thing, this is from the wild!''

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