Ndamukong Suh was eliminated from the “Splash” diving competition faster than the Detroit Lions were from playoff contention last season.
After much hype and training, Suh got voted off Tuesday night after his first appearance on the ABC reality TV show that is in its second week on the air.
It came down to a “dive-off” between Suh, the Lions’ 6-foot-4, 307-pound defensive tackle, and Brandi Chastain, a 44-year-old former Olympic soccer hero. Both judges decided to save Chastain, a late replacement to the field, and send Suh home.
Suh and Chastain attempted the same type of inward dive — starting with their backs to the water — but Chastain clearly had the more impressive entry.
“It’s time to go to real work,” Suh said of his departure.
The good news for the Lions is that he didn’t get injured although there was a scary moment during a practice session that was replayed during Tuesday’s telecast.
Suh, 26, came out of the water with blood running down his face after hitting his nose on the bottom of the pool.
“Am I bleeding?” Suh asked. “I knew it.”
When a cameraman moved in for a close-up, Suh became even more irritated.
“Yo, cut the bleeping camera, man,” he demanded.
Former Olympic diving champion Greg Louganis, who is coaching the “Splash” competitors, said Suh’s problem was that he was closing his eyes.
“A minor scratch is not going to stop me from getting back on top of that board and winning this competition,” Suh vowed after the incident.
“If I go out there and fail, I’m never going to hear the end of it.”
Let the jokes begin.
