How bad are the Detroit Lions’ discipline issues right now? Somehow, Dominic Raiola has become the team’s voice of reason.
Raiola, you might remember, was fined $15,000 for screaming obscenities at a Miami fan after Detroit’s win there last December and also took some heat after he gave the finger to a group of rowdy Lions fans during the 0-16 year. But the veteran center has had enough with Detroit’s issues on the field in recent weeks.
Detroit was flagged for several post-play penalties during Sunday’s loss in New Orleans — Titus Young for taking a swing at a New Orleans player, Brandon Pettigrew for pushing an official and Stefan Logan for flipping the ball in a Saints player’s face. That’s on top of the Lions’ other mental mistakes in a tough 31-17 loss.
After the game, when asked by reporters about the unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness penalties, which came one week after Ndamukong Suh was ejected for stomping on a Packers lineman, Raiola had just one message for his teammates: “Grow the f**k up.”
Here’s Raiola’s reaction, courtesy of MyFoxDetroit.com:
Saints Defeat Lions 31-17 for 4th Straight Win: MyFoxDETROIT.com
