APBears defensive tackle Henry Melton called the Lions a dirty team this week, singling out Lions center Dominic Raiola for criticism. Now Raiola has fired back.
Raiola told the Detroit Free Press that Melton is a nobody.
“Who? Who? Exactly,” Raiola said.
Raiola said he has more respect for other players on the Bears’ defense, like Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman, Israel Idonije and Julius Peppers. According to Raiola, all of those players play the game the right way, but Melton is more interested in drawing attention to himself.
“You got a defense full of superstars, and you don’t hear from the guys that carry weight in my book. Urlacher, Briggs, Tillman, Idonije, older guys. Peppers. The guys that have been there. We’re talking about guys who carry weight. This guy? Not in my book,” Raiola said.
Raiola siad Melton doesn’t deserve to be on the NFC Pro Bowl team and that Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams and Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh would have been better choices.
“I mean, this guy, he made it to the Pro Bowl?” Raiola said. “This guy made the Pro Bowl? [Over] Kevin Williams, who worked through injuries all year? [Over] Suh, who’s a better player than this guy? Come on. It’s tiresome, especially from a guy like this, a guy that didn’t even play the past two weeks. . . . I don’t know what to say anymore. In my book, he’s a clown.”
The “dirty” Raiola and the “clown” Melton will be seeing a lot of each other on Sunday.
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It’s on son.
Didn’t Raiola fumble a snap that cost his team a chance at victory earlier this season? And in clown-like fashion?
Not a fan of either team, but he sounds like a hater.
Raiola would just let his play do the talking, but his play stinks.
LOL at a lion calling someone a “clown”! let alone from raiola who just got sued by his mistress for back child support…
I bet Melton has friends on the Ravens who gave him pointers.
Can’t wait to see these two match up on sunday.
Nothing like a good ol’ fashion trash talk before a divisional game.
Hopefully we won’t be hearing comments moAning about the “lack of class” or how players should “Just shut up and play”.
And for the record both of these guys can play.
HTTR!
Raiola isn’t a good enough player to be doing this kind of trash talking publically. Especially against a player lined up across from him who is pretty explosive.
Melton is becoming a big mouth, he thinks his play warrants some smack talk, he should think again. He is not a game changer
Who are you to talk? Your team is going to be 4-12 by the end of the season!
If it was not for his contract extension your coach would be getting fired.
Both these guys better be sure that their mouths are writing checks that their bodies can cash.
haha… The Lions. Just saying their name makes me laugh.
So many good players, yet such a bad team.
Raiola can talk all he wants as long as he doesn’t pull a Lomas Brown on Sunday.
You can watch the clown in the pro bowl
Nothing like fireworks before a meaningless game.
According to Raiola, all of those players play the game the right way, but Melton is more interested in drawing attention to himself.
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A member of the Lions talking about someone on another team drawing attention to themselves above the team. Wow.
I figured Schwartz wrote that on the bulletin board every week.
Since I need the Lions to beat the Bears on Sunday, I’m very grateful for the locker room bulletin board material.
Why does it seem like every week the Lions have to defend themselves from an opponent calling them dirty? When everybody you face calls you dirty and the league labels one of your teammates the “Dirtiest player in the NFL,” at what point do you go “Well maybe we are.”
Melton has definitely made a lot of noise this year. I do agree he has done a lot of self promoting before he goes into contract negotiations. its getting a little tiring hearing from him so much this week.
I hope Raoila shuts Melton up this week. I would like to shut him up with a Loss….
Whos Henry Melton?
I’ll just say that Melton deserved Pro Bowl honors. A pure beast in the middle.
Not a fan of either team but, who is this guy and why is he allowed to talk? Fatty sounds jealous to me.
Two words – Pro Bowl
That is all
the NFL is a soap opera for men.
Raiola IS a dirty player, and Melton IS deserving of a Pro Bowl nod.
Sincerely,
A Packers fan.
Melton’s not a big name at all on the Bears, and still made the Pro Bowl. He did that by playing lights out and growing up as a player the past couple seasons. If Raiola says he doesn’t know who he is, apparently he doesn’t watch much game tape. That would help explain the Lions’ terrible running game and 4-11 record.
can i speak for millions of football fans when i say “who is dominic riaola” I’ve been watching football my whole life and never heard of him. And then he is trashing a guy who was voted by his peers and a Pro-Bowl starter, (not the 2 clowns on his team who are better known as the dirty players we all know of). Maybe Dominic whoever should quit when he’s behind, just like the rest of his team.
Leg whip coming up on Sunday!
Raiola has been in the league a LONG time. Pretty sure he’s not as “terrible” as people are saying he is. And especially a guy playing center in the NFL
Oh well, all this talk adds a litle drama to the largely meaningless game. I’ll be there, and I have to admit it makes me look forward to going a little more than I would otherwise. Something to anticipate besides a cold beer and CJ breaking 2000 yards.
Tired of hearing from Raiola
Melton made the Pro Bowl?!?
Kevin Williams didn’t make the Pro Bowl?!?
What a joke.
Lookin forward to Sunday for sure.
I never heard of Melton until today.
With all the trash talking going back and forth you’d hope that ONE of the two teams at least makes the playoffs after Sunday’s games (i.e. Chicago). All this angst over two non-playoff teams…?
I know that Melton has played great this year. And has anyone seen the montage on youtube, showing Lions defense verse other NFL players. Someone has done a lot of work to prove that the Lions are dirty. Check it out.
Kevin Williams has been a good player for a long time.
19 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 6 pass deflections in 2012. the PDs are impressive, but this is not pro bowl production unless you’re a nose tackle and everybody around you has double-digit sacks. Melton has 6 sacks and 10 more tackles, same forced fumbles, but like I said, Williams’ pass deflections are impressive.
Raiola needs to follow his buddy Olin Kreutz off into the sunset, the guy has never been a “clean” player and most guys know that.
Lions need to learn how to keep their mouth shut and let the play on the field do the talking.
Until then, this franchise should be renamed the Losers. It’s really unbelievable how undisciplined, immature and unprofessional that franchise is from top to bottom, starting in the off-season and continuing on through every week of the year.
I’ve never known an organization where a bad culture permeates so completely, it practically predestines the team to failure- as there post-season (or lack thereof) record has shown for decades.
And people wonder why they underperformed this year.
Hey Dominic, who made the Pro Bowl? You’re the clown.
@nflfollower
“meaningless game”?
Bears Anton followed by a Vikes loss means Bears are in the playoffs. Hardly meaningless. But you knew that because you follow the NFL, right?
@nflfollower
“meaningless game”?
Bears Win followed by a Vikes loss means Bears are in the playoffs. Hardly meaningless. But you knew that because you follow the NFL, right?
the Lions been playing dirty all season and the best way to deal with that is to play the same way.
Chicago wants a clean fair game..
NOT HAPPENING! Lovie needs to
save his Job and winning this game is a small step.
Never mind, unable to find the link.
I think all this talking is ment to sell tickets. With the Lions record, they need all the help they can get.
…Bringing all the attention to HIMself? Arian Foster didn’t even know who you were dude, until a few weeks ago when you were talking about how JJ Swatts is a nobody. You’re the joke bro.
See when you’re injured, you don’t play. Urlacher didn’t play the last 2 weeks either buddy
Dude has a point – when taking on the Bears – You’ve Got Tillman/Urlacher/Briggs/Peppers/etc. – who has time to pay attention to Melton…
Meanwhile, Suh/Kevin Williams – blah….centerpieces blah.
Hopefully Melton will send him a post card from Hawaii. To where, nobody knows where Raiola will be during the off season but it starts tomorrow for him. Back to the grind huh Dom! It’s tough being a multi year loser but you do it so well!!