DETROIT - Dominic Raiola spent 14 seasons with the Detroit Lions and endured some of the most difficult years in franchise history.Perhaps that explains the bond he still feels toward the city, even though hell no longer play his home games in Motown.Ive made Detroit my home. People ask me when Im moving back to Hawaii, Im not, Raiola said Tuesday. So, this is home for me now and Ive made a home here. Its very humbling to be in this position that I am.The Lions have told Raiola he isnt part of their plans for next season, meaning the veteran centre will be a free agent after playing the first 14 years of his career with Detroit. He says he thinks he can keep playing, but now hell have to find another team.Raiola set a franchise record with 203 starts, and hes one of three players to appear in at least 200 games for the Lions.In many ways, hes a throwback who couldve played in any era of the NFL, general manager Martin Mayhew said in a statement. He should take pride in the fact that he is one of the most durable players in this teams history, as proven by his longevity, and that he helped lead us to two playoff berths in the past four seasons. We wish him nothing but the very best in all his future endeavours.The Lions missed the playoffs in Raiolas first 10 seasons, including an 0-16 showing in 2008, but the Honolulu native was still a part of the starting lineup when Detroit reached the post-season two of the last four seasons. This season the Lions were a wild card, losing their playoff opener at Dallas.I think the last ones going to stand out. I mean, you can say the 2011 playoff year because it was so special and a lot of people made it about the guys that were left over from the 0-16 team, Raiola said. But I think theyre going to look back at this season and say that was a step for Lions coming to whats ahead of them. I think good things are ahead. I know good things are ahead.Raiolas longevity — and his postgame candour — made him one of the most recognizable Detroit players, but he also exasperated fans on occasion. He was fined this past season for unnecessary roughness in a game at New England, and he was suspended for the regular-season finale at Green Bay after stepping on a Chicago player the previous weekend.I played with passion, he said. Yeah it was controversial at times, but when you live in the city, nobody knows that unless you live in the city. If youre one with the city you understand the passion I play with, what I brought every day. It was grouped together.The Lions drafted centre Travis Swanson in the third round last year, and he seems to be the most likely candidate to take over the position now.Hes going to do great, Raiola said. Hes a tough dude. Hes smart. I mean, youve got to be smart to be a centre. The Lions are in good hands with him and Im glad I can leave what I did and move on to Travis. Couldnt happen to a better guy.Raiola signed a one-year deal last off-season that kept him with the Lions for 2014, and this was arguably Detroits most successful season of his time with the franchise.I put a lot of my career on grouping myself with the city. You heard me say that over and over, Raiola said. One thing if I could apologize to people in the city is that Im sorry that we couldnt be more successful and ultimately win a championship while I was here. ... Some people can take it how they want, but the real fans know that I really mean that and that it really comes from my heart.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Austin Seibert Jersey .m. ET, CBSOPENING LINE — Falcons by 3 1/2RECORD VS. Greedy Williams Jersey .com) - P.K. Subbans power-play goal 4:08 into overtime sent the Montreal Canadiens into the All-Star break with a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday. http://www.cheapbrownsjerseysauthentic.com/. 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No pretty goals on this night, just get to the front of the net and fight for a chance.PARIS - Bordeaux coach Willy Sagnol has apologized for making disparaging comments about African players in football, although he still maintains they were misinterpreted against a backlash of widespread criticism.Sagnol, capped 58 times by France and a member of the team which lost the 2006 World Cup final, gave a question and answer session Tuesday to readers of Sud Ouest regional newspaper when the subject of African players was raised.The advantage of what I would call the typical African player is that he isnt expensive when you sign him, (he is) a player who is ready for combat, but football isnt just about that, Sagnol said.Explaining himself, he continued: Football is also (about) technique, intelligence. You need a bit of everything. You need Nordics too, Nordics are good.Speaking Thursday at a pre-match news conference ahead of Saturdays game with Lens, Sagnol tried to explain his comments.If by my lack of clarity, or my imperfect semantics, I may have shocked, humiliated or hurt people then I am sorry, Sagnol said. The interpretation that these people may have made does not reflect my way of thinking in any way or my humanist convictions.However, he said the comments made sense in a sporting context.When I spoke about the African (player) who is cheaper and ready for combat, I simply meant to talk about the young African player arriving in Europe with all of his will to win and often to escape from a precarious situation, Sagnol continued as he read from pre-prepared notes. Then, since we were in a debate about football, the intelligence I spoke of was obviously related to tactical intelligence. The forming of young players in Africa, probably because of a lack of financial means, or (lack) of infrastructure, isnt always as complete as whats available in Europe.Sagnol distanced himself from accusations that his viewpoint was offensive.In no way did I mean to talk about an individuals intelligence in the proper sense of the term.dddddddddddd Regarding certain accusations of racism, Im 37 (and) Ive spent 32 of them in a football dressing room. Ive never had a problem with anyone, the former Bayern Munich player said.But Lens coach Antoine Kombouare, who was born in New Caledonia, is among those who felt offended by Sagnol.Lets make things clear: this is not a case of him being clumsy. Hes really messed up, Kombouare said. What he said is serious. Its unacceptable. Explaining that an African player is cheaper ... I felt humiliated and hurt.The International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA) strongly condemned Sagnol, as did former Marseille president Pape Diouf, who called for African players to boycott one round of French league games in protest.French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet, who formerly employed Sagnol as coach of Frances Under-21 side, defended him, while former teammate Lilian Thuram — an active anti-racism campaigner — was more measured.I played alongside Willy, hes somebody I respect. I know him very well, Thuram told Sud Ouest. I dont think you should put Willy Sagnol on trial, but you should put prejudice on trial. Each one of us harbours some prejudice, which is why people working in football, who have a certain exposure to the media, should be educated on this subject.Sagnols captain at Bordeaux is Senegal international Lamine Sane, who called Sagnols comments clumsy before defending him, as did club president Jean-Louis Triaud.He doesnt have any twisted ideas. He believes in all the black players in the team, Sane told French radio. We believe in him and we hope to go very far with him.Bordeaux forward Henri Saivet, who is black, told RMC radio that Sagnol apologized.We all now pertinently well that the coach is not a racist, Saivet said. Its true that, at first, we asked ourselves a few questions. But he explained how it happened. He apologized to the players. That was very important. 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