You had to have guessed that Dominic Raiola's behavior after the Detroit Lions' 34-27 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday wouldn't go unnoticed. Or unpunished.
↵Previously in this week with the Lions, Raiola yelled a rather explicit remark, coupled with an obscene gesture, to a Miami fan as he was leaving the field. Unfortunately for him, the incident was captured on video and posted online for all to see.
↵Raiola was fined $15,000 today for his actions. If there's any surprise in the penalty, it's that it was levied by the Lions, not the NFL. But Lions coach Jim Schwartz made it clear on Monday that his players have to do a better job of controlling their emotions when encountering verbal abuse from fans. So perhaps this is an example for the rest of the team.
↵When speaking with the media after the fine was announced, Raiola wasn't exactly apologetic, but acknowledged that he loses his temper.
↵↵↵↵"I am a hothead, but I think I am a controlled hothead. When I think of a hothead, it's a guy taking dumb penalties, being undisciplined or getting in trouble off the field. I don't do any of that. I play with passion and I don't think there's anything wrong with that."
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Hey, the Lions already fined Raiola. He might as well speak his mind, right?