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Detroit lineman defends 'dirty' chop block after Patriots ran up score

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Just after the final two-minute warning of Sunday’s game against game against the Detroit Lions, the New England Partiots had the ball on Detroit’s one-yard line. Rather than down it three times to clinch the game, New England handed off  to LeGarrette Blount who scored a meaningless touchdown that made the final score 34-9 instead of 27-9.

This didn’t please Lions center Dominic Raiola, whose insincere desire to uphold the dignity of all things sports would have made him a perfect catcher for the Atlanta Braves. Believing the Pats were running up the score, Raiola came out on the next possession and illegally chop blocked Pats tackle Zach Moore as retaliation on the final play of the game.

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After the game, Raiola was unapologetic. He even seemed proud.

“I cut him. We took a knee, so I cut the nose [tackle]. They went for [a touchdown]. They went for a touchdown at 2 minutes. They could have took three knees and the game could have been over. It’s football. He wants to keep playing football, let’s play football. Not a big deal. It’s football.”

Raiola’s anger ingores a number of factors:

1. The only reason the Patriots had 1st-and-goal from the one-yard line was because one of his teammates got a penalty when the Pats were attempting a field goal on fourth-and-2 with 2:00 remaining. If the Lions were still going hard, why not the Patriots?

2. You’re a veteran professional football player, Dominic. Your team is 7-3 and in the fight for home-field in the NFL playoffs. Why bother to have sour grapes when you should be eating them like a pharaoh. It’s one thing to be a sore loser, but why be a dirty one too?

Vince Wilfork of the Patriots seems toa agree.

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

(USA TODAY Sports Images)

I just heard what happened, but that was stupid,” Wilfork said after the game. “I didn’t see it, but from what I heard … You’re taking a knee. They’d get mad if we were just to blow up one of their players, so I mean, it’s just uncalled for.”

3. The Patriots weren’t running up the score. Bulldozing into the end zone isn’t throwing deep. This is the NFL. You don’t want a team to score, stop ’em.

Raiola wasn’t penalized on the play, but the chop and his pride in it deserves a FedEx from the league, just in time for Thanksgiving.

The center’s temper has gotten the best of him before. Last year, he got into beef with the University of Wisconsin marching band before a game in Green Bay. To hie credit, he later apologized and eventually made a “significant donation” to the band, probably because they hadn’t tried to run up the score.

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