Sunday, October 20, 2013

The NFL's Blurred Lines on Dirty HIts, Flags and Fines



This league...this.. league.

So if you wanted to know more about exactly how, why, and who decides what players have money stolen from their paychecks on Monday get fined for illegal and/or dangerous hits, well then watch this video. Or, if you don't have time, I'll summarize.

They just sorta make it up as they go. And by "they", I mean, Merton Hanks.

For example, Ndamakon Suh, a dirty player make no mistake, hits Brandon Weeden a SPLIT second after he releases the football with his helmet SLIGHTLY tilted downward.

No penalty on the play, but the NFL's spiffy "war room" of bureaucrats (talk about wasted manpower!) somehow decide that he now owes the league $31,500.

Why such an oddly specific number?

We never find out in this piece. We only get an incredulous Andrea Kremer reminding Hanks that no amount of fines seems to effect Suh's play on the field. In fact, if the league was really worried about these hits, they would have to ask the basic question: "Is our current program actually REDUCING the number of them?"

I would bet the answer is no, but then again somebody has to fund the league Christmas party!

As for all the other dangerous hits they looked at, well, as Hanks points out "it turned out to be much to do about nothing."

Oh, good. Got it. You and a dozen paid league staffers sit around in an expensive war room, and then just let Hanks wing it.

#thisleague

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