It was national news in April when NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended two future Hall of Famers, Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras and Packers' halfback Paul Hornung for placing bets on NFL teams.

The Lions franchise was additionally fined $2,000 each on two counts for failure to report information promptly and for lack of sideline supervision.

Things became lighthearted in August, when gonzo sports journalist George Plimpton endured the Lions' training camp process as an ostensible backup quarterback, going so far as to run a very unsuccessful series of downs in practice, to generate a story for the telling.

Paper Lion, published in 1966, is a non-fiction book by prominent American writer George Plimpton.

When finally inserted at quarterback for a series in a scrimmage conducted in Pontiac, Michigan, Plimpton managed to lose yardage on each play, convincing many in the crowd that he was a professional sports clown inserted for amusement purposes, not someone who was genuinely giving his best effort.