RAIOLA WANTS TO HAVE A FISTFIGHT WITH LIONS FANS

Lions center Dominic Raiola says he has no regrets at all about his decision to yell at and give the finger to fans who were booing the team on Sunday. In fact, Raiola just wishes he could make that finger into a fist and use it to pummel the fans who express their frustration with the team’s 0-13 record. “I don’t take one thing back,” Raiola said Monday, per the Detroit Free Press. “I’ll say the same thing to a fan that I see in the street. I wish I could give my address out to some fans. I’ll do that. But, you know, I can’t. Nobody plays with fists. Everybody wants to play with metal. So I can’t. I’m so frustrated. I’m tired of being a doormat for people to just talk to us how they want to talk to us. I’m just not going to put up with it anymore.” The NFL says it’s looking into Raiola’s actions. Based on the standard set by the league’s fine for Michael Vick in 2006, the going rate for giving fans the finger is $10,000 for each bird. It’s no surprise that Lions fans are taunting the players, but it’s interesting to note that from the players’ perspective, it gets worse with fewer fans in attendance. Now that Ford Field has tens of thousands of empty seats on Sundays, it’s easier for an individual fan to make sure the players can hear his taunts. Says Lions left tackle Jeff Backus, “Part of it is how quiet the stadium is. Seriously, you can hear individuals yelling at you. It doesn’t all blend into just a roar.”