Posted by John Niyo (The Detroit News) on Mon, Nov 2, 2009 at 9:33 PM
Stafford on his critics: 'They're not gonna run me out of town'If Matthew Stafford is Clifford Peache, then Dominic Raiola is Linderman. Call it "My Bodyguard 2: The Sequel," and give the Lions' offensive captain credit for defending his rookie quarterback, even if you want to question Raiola's short-tempered (and foul-mouthed) methods.
Stafford got his first official taste of the Joey Harrington treatment Sunday in a 17-10 loss to St. Louis at Ford Field. And Raiola didn't like it one bit, jawing with fans who were taunting Stafford from the stands behind the Lions' bench in the final minute of the game.
"That just hit home with me," Raiola said. "Because I've been through it with Joey (Harrington). They sent him packing, quick. They're not gonna do it to this guy. I'm gonna be right here next to him."
Stafford wasn't available to the media Monday, but he was asked about Raiola's outburst during his weekly WJR radio appearance.
"He didn't say anything terrible," Stafford said. "It was, you know, 'Give him a break. Get outta here.' That kind of thing. It wasn't a big-time verbal altercation or anything. But he's right. They're not gonna run me out of town. So I'm not too worried about it."
Added Stafford: "I was standing by the water cooler and just gettin' it from fans, and that's understandable. They want to win probably as bad as we do. It's understandable that they're gonna get after guys when your team's not playing well. I like to think that I do a pretty good job of just letting that stuff go.
"Dom was just standing there saying, 'Hey, man, don't let that stuff get to you.' And I know that. I've been in tough situations before. It's just great to have a guy like Dom on your side."