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Friday, April 6, 2012

Would lowering NFL bounty fines send a negative message to players

    Bounty Gate is the biggest thing to hit  professional sports in a long time. Fines have been handed out, and now some involved are looking to have their fines reduced through appeals. The NFL had to set these fines high to send a statement to its players,to confirm that they weren't the only ones being held to new higher standards. Uncharacteristically high fines were leveled against many players in the past year, most notably James Harrison, 125,000 total last year, and teammate Ryan Clark 55,000 also, Chicago Bear Brandon Meriweather 85,000 over the past two seasons. Many skeptical about the rule changes made in order to protect player health point to the leagues lack of compassion towards retired players and their lifetime of football related health issues.
     With the leagues crackdown on end zone celebrations, and non structured self expression. Many wonder about leagues with majority black players, and non black league Commissioners, like Bryant Gumball said speaking of NBA commissioner David Stern, "Among other things his moves were intended to do little more than show he's keeping the hired hands in their place." With dress codes, and facial expression technical fouls I see where he's coming from. Who would have thought Gumball would take the hard stand.
     With player safety as its new focus allowing these coaches and management to appeal their fines is within the rules, but actually allowing the fines to be lowered would be a slap in the face, not only to the players targeted by name and body part to be injured, but also to the player over fined for not conforming to the new rules to the game. Some hits being legal just a year earlier. I'm never one for taking food off of another man's table, but in this instance its just a case of keeping the playing field level. Anything else is just another black eye for the league.

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