Big Lead Sports Bar

11/30/2010

James Harrison Fined $25,000, Again



No, this is not a copy of an earlier post, although it could be by this point in the season: James Harrison has been fined yet again by the NFL.

This time, the penalty is $25,000 for a very questionable roughing the passer call committed while hitting Buffalo's Ryan Fitzpatrick on Sunday. That brings Harrison's season total to a whopping $125,000 on the year, a simply laughable amount especially in light of other penalties doled out (or not doled out) by the league in recent weeks. Richard Seymour was fined the same $25K for dropping the Steelers' quarterback after the play, while Cortland Finnegan and Andre Johnson were fined $25K for a helmets-off fight on Sunday. And that's really the same as what Harrison did or didn't do on Sunday? Please. And spare me the "track record" argument. Finnegan is well known as one of the league's dirtiest players, and the Steeler incident wasn't Seymour's first rodeo, either.

Is the NFL, which I once considered a smart league, really as clueless as it appears in the matters of discipline consistency?

Mondesi's House: The Director's Cut (more links, commentary, etc): twitter.com/mondesishouse
Email: mondesishouse@gmail.com

14 comments:

BurressWithButterflywings said...

It is not clueless. Not at all. The NFL has an agenda and it is being carried out. That agenda has been present for some time now.

Look back at the number of guys who were actually arrested, charged, and/or pled guilty to a real crime and how many actually missed a game during this last offseason.

I have my tinfoil hat on and I am ready to roll out the "Goodell Hates The Steelers" carpet right now.

This is an absolute joke.

Louis Lipps is my homeboy said...

Isn't Goodell actually from western PA or something?

Spatula said...

Maybe not anti-Steeler per se, but I've seen administrators (at the university where I teach and businesses where friends and family work) go mad with power and, for no logical reason, pick somebody to destroy. Many previous posts have pointed out that the Rooney's helped get Goodell his position. The maniacal administrators that others and I have had to deal with frequently destroy their allies to prove their power. Harrison is just unfortunate enough to be the victim of Goodell's twisted egomania.

Bababooey said...

Louis, I don't know if Goodell is from Western PA but I think he went to Washington & Jefferson.

Anyway, this fining business is atrocious. James Harrison is clearly a target by the league. The Steelers as a whole are targeted by the league. All Harrison can do is keep appealing and play his game. The team needs to come together and realize that EVERYONE is against them when it comes to this flag throwing business. I hope there is a private team meeting and the point gets across that they need to come together and use this bad officiating as motivation to win games. At this point they aren't only playing their opponent, but playing the league as well.

It was reported that Tomlin sent tapes of the "penalties" from the Bills game to the league office, to question the calls that should have been called in their favor. I think he's handling it well in the fact he's going to let managment hopefully chime in. As for the Rooneys...old man Rooney needs to get his ass back from Ireland and get in the New York office and do his business with Goodell.

This has been a really strange/bad year for professional football in terms of officiating, playing, and player conduct. There's other aspects of the game that can also be noted. I for one, hope after this season the league sits back and does has some major discussions on how to remedy a game maimed by inconsistancies and empowerment.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

Goodell is from New York. His father was a senator. He is a W&J grad, but worked for the Jets before being promoted to the league office.

I would like to know why Stroud and Moats were allowed to twist Ben around like a rag doll after the whistle and nothing is called. And I don't want to hear he is being punished for his trangressions. After all, he served his time! If you could just punk any player in the NFL ever accused of a crime, what's stop someone from blind siding Ray Lewis or stomping on Mark Sanchez's hand? I guess it would then be legal to interfere with Braylon Edwards every play or kneel on ConVick's throat after a play, too?

Steve said...

Sorry folks, Tomlin just $hit the bed in saying Harrison needs to change. Way to show your support Mike. Now Harrison knows he's not only fighting an uphill battle with the NFL, Goodell and the officials but now his coach too. What's next a pic of Dan Rooney going down on Goodell?

I'm hoping for a playoff game where Harrison has a QB lined up for a 4th down sack to end the game and simply stops and watches him throw a game winning touchdown, at which point Harrison walks off the field, into the sunset, never to play again...it will be at that moment, that I will consider him the greatest Steeler that ever played.

Bababooey said...

I don't know if Tomlin is completely set on Harrison changing the way he plays. I think Tomlin mentioned that after the Buffalo game because what had occurred with the other penalties..Keyron Fox gets a penalty after the play, Kemo has a bunch, and the list goes on. At that point Tomlin is trying to say Harrison may have to change his game given that situation. If that was a game where these penalties don't occur and Harrison gets flagged, what's 15 yards? I believe Tomlin is mentioning the alteration in Harrison's play given the game time situation.

It's awful this is even a discussion. The Steelers are obviously getting flagged for being the more physical team.

RuthenianCowboy said...

Geez, is Goodell borrowing Colin Campbell's "NHL Wheel of Justice"?

okel dokel said...

It is all politics. Herr Goodell is not happy with the Steelers consistent line on this issue. Everyone in the organization, top to bottom, has expressed their displeasure with the uneven "arm of justice."

The NFL Gods are not pleased about the Steelers blasphemy and they are letting them know about it. The Steelers seem content to use the league channels to air their grievances. Everyone, Tomlin especially, seems to "watching their words."

I am not sure what good it would have for Dan Rooney to visit Roger. I am sure Mr. Skinner has heard from him.

Does anyone else think this off season is going to get real ugly in football. I am hoping we get more Bob Kraft commercials. Could they fellate that jackass any more?

Matt said...

it looked like the ref had flag in hand as soon as Deebo got within 3 feet of Fitzpatrick. they showed it on Mike and Mike close up and it make me almost laugh.

BurressWithButterflywings said...

Apparently all of the support from the "Pay James Harrison's Fine" group lead to this:

http://www.jamesharrisonfamilyfoundation.org/index.html

Bababooey said...

Great cause, absolutely. But any fan willing to give up their own money to pay a millionaire's fine is an absolute moron. That is all.

HomeRunFromBehindTheMeatballs said...

i can't believe i'm going to say this, but it's only because it has nothing to do with the Xs & Os of football: "Tony Kornheiser made an excellent point"

I know, i know, hear me out. The treatment of Harrison is unfathomable, let's move on. Kornheiser suggested that Andre Johnson avoided suspension because he's a superstar in this weeks upcoming thursday night game on the NFL NETWORK! So there you go. It's not that Johnson's acts weren't suspension worthy, it's that there's money to be made and that trumps all morals.


Also, all of these suggestions (statements) that Rooney NEEDS to come back and 'fix' this issue... I mean, i know this is Western PA, but do we really think football games are more important than Rooney's work as the ambassador to ireland? I'm sure he's not over there drinking whiskey and eating potato stews all damn day. Let's calm down here. I love the NFL, but it's certainly not the MOST IMPORTANT THING in the world. Besides, what's he gonna do? Goodell has all of the power and will only change that if he feels like it.

Bababooey said...

HomeRun, yeah Goodell won't do anything unless he feels like it, but the owners expressing anger and displeasure over these new rules should make him budge. The Rooney's are partly responsible for why he's in the position that he is at the time. I'm sure Old Man Dan is and has been on the phone already to Der Fuhrer.

Awesome point about Johnson, though. Such a corrupt business.