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    <title>Yardbarker: Dominic Raiola</title>
    <link>http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/3178</link>
    <description>Recent articles about Dominic Raiola</description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <item>
      <title>From the &amp;#8220;Here we go again&amp;#8221; dept: Jon Kitna predicts 10 wins</title>
      <description>Straight from the horse's ass QB's mouth&#8230;
"Our expectation is we will be disappointed if we don't win 10 games," he said today, when the Lions held their first Organized Team Activities session in Allen Park. "Because that will mean we're not in the playoffs &#8230; I can't make it any simpler than that. Anybody who says that's not their expectations level is unfortunately not that much of a competitor."
Yeah, yeah, whatever. did he learn his lesson after the debacle of last season? You know, where EVERY single solitary media member, writer, blogger and fan brings up your clueless braggadocio after every loss? In 2007, as the Lions were on their death spiral, every week Kitna's 10 win prediction was brought up by someone in the media. It became a running joke, much like the Lions.
I know you want your starting QB to be confident. But there's a difference between being confident and showing false bravado. Between bring cocky and being delusional. Between talking a good game and actually playing one.
In sports, all we have to go on is a player's track record, their past history. To be blunt, Kitna's track record blows. His past history shows he can lead a team nowhere further than .500. He's an utterly mediocre QB playing for a bad team. The only thing I'm confident Kitna can do is turn the ball over. The LAST thing the Lions' bible thumping QB needs to be doing is throwing the "10 wins" scenario out here for all to ridicule.
I like the fact Kitna is confident in his abilities. He has to be, because no one else is. But does he have to talk about 10 wins every God damn off season? why not say, "I hope to make the playoffs," and leave it at that? Hell, I'd be happier if he was proselytizing, rather than bullshitting. Not that I'm thrilled with the Lions having a QB who feels he has to force his religion on people, but at least he wouldn't constantly be putting his foot in his mouth by making predictions he, nor his team, can back up.
In fact, Kitna wasn't talking big about the Lions season, he was also talking big about his keeping the starting job under center.
"When (starting center) Dominic Raiola's in the game, I'll be in the game," Kitna said. "That's how I know I'm up. When I see 51 go in, I go."
When fans see 51 go in, we know to expect the worst, as 6 is soon to follow&#8230;as in "6 going the other way."</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:54:21 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274470</link>
      <guid>http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/274470</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Detroit Lions Offensive Line Analysis</title>
      <description>This in depth analysis of the offensive line includes the projected starters for the upcoming season, statistics and injuries from the past season, an overview of players on the line and an outlook for the 2008 season.</description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 15 May 2008 16:38:40 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267409</link>
      <guid>http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/267409</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Jon Kitna is Tight With His Centers</title>
      <description>"Nobody gets to touch his butt but me"</description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2008 10:33:49 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264254</link>
      <guid>http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/264254</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Next Up: Bears vs. Lions</title>
      <description>The Chicago Bears eye the .500 mark with another matchup against the Detroit Lions in week 8. Here's how I see this game...</description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 26 Oct 2007 03:09:45 -0500</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/32941</link>
      <guid>http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/32941</guid>
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