| Detroit center Dominic Raiola had strong words for an anonymous general manager who criticized him. (US Presswire) |
Detroit center Dominic Raiola left no doubt Wednesday about his opinion of an NFL GM who made him the subject of a recent anonymous personal attack on the website Pro Football Weekly.
“To whoever’s talking s---, and the person who wrote it on Pro Football Weekly: Coward, gutless, [expletive],” Raiola said. “Aint’ got a name? Anonymous? All I’ve got to say is f--- you.”
The executive’s comments about Raiola appeared almost a month after Raiola called the same individual a coward for voicing anonymous criticism directed at all phases of the Lions organization in another article on the PFW website.
"I saw Dominic Raiola called me out, asking who the aimless, anonymous GM is who criticized the great Lions,” the GM said. "‘Who is this person?’ It’s the guy who rejects you every time he watches your tape and thinks you are a complete fraud. It’s the guy who didn’t think you could play when you came out of college and still doesn’t think you can play now. … If he spent as much time working the other muscles in his body as he does his jaw, he might have had the chance to be an average backup. You can put that in print.”
After his initial expletive-laden tirade, Raiola said the worst part of the executive’s criticism was the executive was able to justify attacking a player in an interview without feeling the need to publicly stand behind his comments.
“He’s probably sitting at home behind his comfortable little front door with his family,” Raiola said. “If you’re his family, how do you even call this guy a man of your house?”
The piece has since been removed from the website and the editor of Pro Football Weekly, Hub Arkush, has apologized to the Lions, but Raiola says the apology carries no weight.
What does carry weight, however, is that the actions of Raiola’s unnamed critic have been rebuked by players on both sides of Sunday’s Lions-Vikings matchup.
“If you felt that strongly about [Raiola’s play], put your name on it,” Vikings DE Jared Allen said of the unnamed GM. “I have a hard time with outside people with, you know, they don’t have their hand in the dirt to criticize what we do.”
Allen’s supportive sentiment –- a rarity in the ultra-competitive NFC North -– was echoed by Lions guard Rob Sims.
“We all know [the GM’s comments are] out of bounds,” Sims said. “You can say what you want, but don’t go hide behind it. That’s rule number one in this game.”
Sims then took issue with the executive’s evaluation of Raiola’s play.
“Dom has played for 12 years in this league, and he’s done some amazing things from an offensive line and center standpoint,” he said. “It’s crazy that this late in his career, people would take shots like that on a guy that’s meant so much to this city, locker room and team. It’s just cheap.“
Whatever happens next in the battle between Raiola and his unnamed detractor, the veteran is determined not to let the actions of the GM distract his teammates before Sunday’s must-win game. Sims, however, described the executive’s actions –- and Raiola’s response to them –- as a rallying cry that can help the Lions when they face the Vikings at the Metrodome.
“[The comments] fired [Raiola] up,” Sims said. “Thing is, that gets us fired up, too.”
Follow Lions reporter John Kreger on Twitter at @CBSLions and @JohnKreger.