Are league fines and suspensions fair?

[Eagle60]

I saw the punter getting cheap shotted on the NFL Channel last night and it got me thinking. The shooter got a $25,000 fine. At first, this sounds like a pretty hefty fine. Now though, I don't think it's fair at all. First of all, the punter got a broken jaw and is done for the year. It only seems fair to me that the guy who did this to him should at least get the same penalty. Second, I know that the NFL gives the fine money to charity. I say, what better charity than the poor bastard that has the broken jaw!! Thoughts?

[MDFAN]

If I remember right--- and that is questionable at my age--- I'm not sure that was a "cheap" shot, it was very legal. Kicker is still a football player.

But to your point, I agree that if they want the system to change they better get more serious about punishments. 25k to guy making a million is not much of an incentive to change behavior. Suspend him for a game then he might, but then you are punishing his team and their fans more than just the guy.

It can be a quandary.

[Eagle60]

If I remember right--- and that is questionable at my age--- I'm not sure that was a "cheap" shot, it was very legal. Kicker is still a football player.

But to your point, I agree that if they want the system to change they better get more serious about punishments. 25k to guy making a million is not much of an incentive to change behavior. Suspend him for a game then he might, but then you are punishing his team and their fans more than just the guy.

It can be a quandary.

That is true about others being punished, but doesn't that apply to all suspensions? As for the legality, of course it was illegal-that's why he got fined. I think the reason that you got confused is because the refs missed it and there were no flags thrown.

[MDFAN]

You're probably right, I saw the hit, and no flags so I just thought it was a kicker and the broken jaw so they fined the guy.

As for the suspension I agree, that's what makes it such a quandary. Whadda you do? There is only so many ways to punish players. (legally that is)

[rspurr]

If I remember right--- and that is questionable at my age--- I'm not sure that was a "cheap" shot, it was very legal. Kicker is still a football player.

But to your point, I agree that if they want the system to change they better get more serious about punishments. 25k to guy making a million is not much of an incentive to change behavior. Suspend him for a game then he might, but then you are punishing his team and their fans more than just the guy.

It can be a quandary.

It was a cheap shot and excessive. I thought they were eliminating the peel back blocks in the kicking game. I'm not sure why the NFL doesn't just say, if you lead with the crown of the helmet and make contact with another players head, then it's a penalty and a fine. Instead they are saying that because he's a punter, he's defenseless. That's the wrong way to go. As long as the punter is allowed to make a tackle, then he can be blocked. Just not in that manner.
Instead, it should be: "you put the crown of the your helmet into the player's (that wasn't looking) jaw and broke his jaw". That's why it's a penalty and a fine.

[Eagle60]

It was a cheap shot and excessive. I thought they were eliminating the peel back blocks in the kicking game. I'm not sure why the NFL doesn't just say, if you lead with the crown of the helmet and make contact with another players head, then it's a penalty and a fine. Instead they are saying that because he's a punter, he's defenseless. That's the wrong way to go. As long as the punter is allowed to make a tackle, then he can be blocked. Just not in that manner.
Instead, it should be: "you put the crown of the your helmet into the player's (that wasn't looking) jaw and broke his jaw". That's why it's a penalty and a fine.

And gutless I might add!

[YourPalChrisMal]

It's also funny how every player gets the same fine despite who they are. That's been my beef with traffic violations as well, although I know neither will ever change. For example, if I get a $150 speeding ticket, it is a nuisace. If a guy making minimum wage gets $150 speeding ticket, that can ruin his whole month. For a movie star or pro athlete, $150 is chump change, and is virtually meaningless.

Similarly, a $25K fine in the NFL to a veteran making millions means nothing. Najee Goode was fined $10K earlier in the season when his hand smacked the QB's face (I think it was the Packers game.) $10K to Najee Goode is probably a painful penalty.

What incentive is there to a guy making $5M a year to not get a $25,000 fine? What do they care?

[musicman]

should be a percentage of yearly salary. And it should increase that percentage for each incident

[rspurr]

Stop making sense.

[Eagle60]

should be a percentage of yearly salary. And it should increase that percentage for each incident

That and break his friekin jaw and I'm good with it.

[FRESH]

That's why making it a game check, or a half a game check, whatever..makes more sense and is a more uniform penalty. If a guy is thinking"if I cheap shot a guy, I'm going to lose half a game check..." he might just wise the hell up.

Suspend a guy for a game or so and you are also punishing the organization.

[MDFAN]

I like the % aspect, that makes some sense.

Does anybody know if the players really do pay or does the team somehow back door these things?

[Eagle60]

The league stepped in and stopped that years ago MD.

[Eaglebreath]

What gets me is these refs can see a ticky tack hold on Kurt Coleman 25 yards away from the ball carrier, but they can't see a guy go helmet to helmet, to the face, directly in front of the play, right in the middle of the field. I saw that play in real time, and I'm like, how in the holy hell did they not see/call that?? Plus, to add insult to injury, the play went for a TD, and wasn't called back.

That said, I still think that if you hit someone illegally like that, and he misses games, you miss the same amount of games. That Steeler should be riding some pine. Coaches don't give a shit about fines, and the players make a lot of money. You want to stop head hunting, suspend the players.

[musicman]

EB ,so a star knocks out a scrub and his team plays with the injury report to hold the star out of the lineup. Wouldn't work. Fines hurt the pocketbook and I believe suspensions cost game checks as well. I'm not really a fan of any of this BS anyway. A few years back when we had decent STs I remember us knocking punters into the middle of the following week and that was awesome. Jeff Feagles I believe was cracked back on.