The gloves and helmets came off
The NFL on Monday fined Houston receiver Andre Johnson and Tennessee cornerback Courtland Finnegan for their on-field fight Sunday. The fines were warranted – and Finnegan’s reputation as one of the league’s dirtiest players has been again validated.
That said, why just the fines? Seriously, a fine is what is being handed out to players like James Harrison for making violent hits that are not even dubbed a penalty. A fine is what is being levied against players like Steve Johnson for uniform infraction for having “Why so serious” written on his undershirt.
This was a brawl, with helmets going flying and punches being thrown and landed. And it was there for everyone to see.
If the NFL is going to crack down on helmet-to-helmet hits and planned celebrations, then shouldn’t an ugly scene like the Andre Johnson-Finnegan fracas mean more than breaking out the checkbook.