This is a link to a blogger that got the nfl to respond to why the fines were equal for CC and Light. Warning content in this link might piss you off: The NFL responds to Crowder/Lightsituation - The Phinsider
Damn, sounds like the NFL was looking for ANY reason to take Light and the Pats off the hook, just amazing.
By the way, has the NFL ever before taken into account what was said on the field before when handing down punishments?
OMG AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Are they serious? Verbal Instigation? WTF? Seriously?!?!?! So now there's no such thing as Trash talking allowed in the NFL? (which you know thats not true) Whatever.
You know why ths is bunk? Because if you say that you are going to kill someone, versus actually KILLING someone, you get different punishments. If Channing said something, then yes, give him an unsportsmanlike conduct if he deserves to have it. But Matt Light clearly shows that he has zero restraint when he attacked Channing. I can't believe that Channing was fined for tucking tail and running. Heck, I bet he wishes that he could relive that moment knowing now what he knows. I guarentee you he wouldn't have stood there and taken it.
Obviously the rookie refs had never heard soldiers on the battlefield verbally joust before and got scared.
So, let me get this straight: Calling someone names/taunting = punching someone in the head = ejectable and fineable offense? They're going to have to eject a whole slew of players each and every week following this logic. But, they won't. Why? Because they don't need an out each and every week to avoid putting the golden boy Patsies in a compromising situation (i.e. Light suspension). Thinking back, Kyle Turley got a $25,000 for ripping a guy's helmet off and throwing half way down the field, yet Light gets a $15,000 fine for ripping a guy's helmet off and trying to punch him in the face three times, while landing two of them. To boot, Goodell is suppose to be the new "enforcer" that Tags wasn't. Crap, just pure crap.
Is there a way to email the phins or crowder? Don't take this lying down Crowder! Speak up. I'd say the league feels it is equally bad to talk trash during a game than it is to pull a guys helmet off, grab his hair like little girl, and punch him 3 times in the back of the head.
sounds pretty bogus to me. I have no problems at all with crowder being fined for verbally instigating a fight. My problem with the issue is that he's being fined the same amount for his trash talking, that matt light is for ripping off crowders helmet and throwing and landing 3 punches to crowders head/face... thats the total BS of it all... The nfl should be ashamed...
So wait a minute, according to that link, it was Channing's fault that Light threw several punches at him while he attempted to avoid the fight altogether? And I noticed the statement does not mention the video being reviewed, only the people on the field "He called me a doo-ddo head, so I took a poke at him" But but Matt...you took 4 swings at him.. "Hey look buddy, I'm a Patriot, you do not call a Patriot anything but "Sir"..get it...." This ontop of the NFL hosing some 66 million out of people who bet on the Steelers vs the Chargers and that last second TD fiasco, IMO, anyone who puts a dime on a NFL game needs their heads examined..
Yeah that! In other sports, like soccer in my country, team management speaks up if they're not happy with decisions like these. When there's clear evidence of aggression from another team's player, it's their right to speak up and ask for an investigation on the issue. Suspensions and/or fines are issued if found guilty.
Not in the NFL though finsmx, criticisize the league and you will be fined or suspended or both, the only ones who can really speak up are the owners...
Believe it or not its more likely than not bro. When you've got money involved, anything is possible. Thinking that the NFL cant or never will be fixed is like this: Mafia? What Mafia? Get this threw your head (because if not, a bullet will)... THERE IS NO MAFIA. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT.
I think if Crowder is determined to get justice. His only real option to press charges with the police for assault. Make it a civil matter as well and sue him for reinburstment on the fines and any other expenses. I dont think the charges would stick, but you can bet goodell will squirm being in the middle of all the negative publicity. Goodell along with the major media outlets have all made it clear that they either are or ok with, tolerating the gross bias Goodell has towards the patriots. Why isnt Parcells speaking out or WH? I think WH has a legitimate gripe here. One could argue that ejecting both players had an excessivly negative impact on the Dolphins. We lost a starter and their was emotional issues involved too, considering they felt unjustly persecuted. Bottom line is that game was a must win game for both organazations an the officiating showed a bias towards one team. I am so outraged that I refuse to watch ESPN at all anymore and will not help the NFL's tv ratings by watching games either. I will keep tabs on my team through the blogs and catch youtube clips until something changes. I know I am only one person but I am resigned to boycotting them. I think whoever mentioned contacting the team was spot on. Tell the Miami Dolphins how upset you are and if your boycotting tell them that too. Hitting them in their pocket books is the only way to get their attention.
Take this same exact scenario outside a bar in front of some cops on the street, and the person who "verbally instigated" the altercation doesnt get cuffed and sent to the pound, the guy who throws punches does... Ridiculous.
I said in another thread before the decision on the punishment was made that the league would make it a light fine to keep from penalyzing a patriot and I was right. If the roles were reversed and Light had trash talked and Crowder would have retaliated you would have seen a much different decision made. Light probably wouldn't have been fined and Crowder would have been fined $25,000 or more and probably suspended a game. It will be interesting how this same senerio plays out in future incidents with different teams.
I'll bet the email address of that email read something like this.... RKraftgotnakedpixofgoodell@NEPAT/RUNSDANFL.COM
I cant' believe i'm going to say this but I"m rooting for 3 steelers this week. Harrison and Farrior and Pomalomoloa. I hope they abuse Light and make cassel wish light was suspended. I also hope light gets injured in the process...just so i can say, "try and fix that goodell"
OK guys I am going to say what I need to say and it may make a few of you roll your eye's. Roger Goddell is buddy buddy with Belichick, which is why he destroyed evidence of spy gate and only slapped him on the wrist. Let's consider this, Joey Porter questioned the referees when we lost to Houston and is fined, The Pats lose to the Colts and Randy Moss questions the referee's what happens, Goddell waives the fine off. I am not 100% sure but wasn't another fine waived on a patriots player( maybe Wilford)by Goddell ? A picture is developing.
That attitude is kind of part of the problem. Everyone pretty much took the same attitude with spygate and other rulings. When is it time to voice disapproval. I get the point your are making and I agree that we need to concentrate on our immeadiate goal too and that is to beat the Rams. IMO this is a fight Parcells and WH should be spearheading. What exactly does Parcells have on his plate right now, not much. Most of his work is during preseason. I think as fans we need to speak out against the quality and integrity of the product we are purchasing. I am seriously considering not watching ESPN and not watching football on TV until I feel like there are one set of rules applied equally to all teams. I really am begining to wonder how deeply the NFL is in bed with vegas and Televison.
I recall during the course of the game, the "retaliator" usually gets the penalty because that's the only thing the referees sees. Now after reading this, if someone retaliates, there should be off-setting penalties because someone else HAD to have egged him on in order to retaliate... no matter that the refs didn't see it, or don't even know who did it, right?
I must admit that this seems strange. I personally liked Goddell when he came into the league and started cracking down on players. However after Spygate I knew the guy was a farce and will stand up for the teams, front office, etc. while treating the players like crap. I also looked at situations like PacMan Jones and realized that truly innocent until proven guilty should have been upheld. Honestly if it was found out that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick strangled a hooker in the Pats locker room over their insignia while streaming it live to the web nothing would happen and Goddell would say let the cops sort it out. I'm actually surprised holding wasn't called on that amazing Tyree catch in the Super Bowl. Seriously how can you burn tapes and then tell people that you burned them because nothing was on them...I mean WTF?
If I go out to a club and verbally assault Joey Porter for example, will it stop the police from arresting Joey Porter for assault? PS Smack talk happen all the time, JT was a proponent of it for 10 years, and he wasnt fined, I guess that if you smack talk someone to the point where he throws punch your suddenly responsible for making it happen I'll teach that to my son, Dont mouth off to someone, but if he does it to you, beat the living piss out of him I am now dumber for watching nfl games and reading this Aiello non sense
My other question is: Why wasnt Gurode suspended for verbal abuse of Albert Haynesworth, Albert was probably very upset at something Gurode must of said....
Wait, so I'm to believe that Crowder was trash talking during the play? Really?? He must be the first guy in history to pull that off. And there's no way it was done after because we have that footage. Maybe before the play. Couldn't possibly be, because we see all kinds of NFL shows celebrating the great trash talkers in the league. About how John Randle was legendary for doing research on his opponents to the point where he knew the names of the player's wife and kids, etc. Nah, this is BS. The NFL takes care of the Patriots. It sounds petty, but when the league's punishment is so inconsistent, and we all said beforehand that nothing would happen, you can take these kinds of potshots. And Matt Light can expect more guys to be baiting him about his wife from here on out. It's too bad, because I think we'd all prefer it the norm was little/no punishment in these kinds of situations.
I can't even think about it anymore, it pisses me off too much. Like someone else said, it kinda sucks that we love this game and team so much and **** like this goes on with the favortism for the pats, that it makes you sick to your stomach...and there is nothing you can do about it.
How is Rodney Harrison not bankrupt? oh, probably because he plays (oh wait, played) for the NFL Patriots (previously known as the New England Patriots). and it probably doesn't hurt that trash talking was still allowed before his tragic career-ending injury. I can't wait to see the next new rule the NFL will create in ex-post-facto fassion to help the Patsies. Coming soon: illegal double coverage, automatic super bowl victory.
The best way to highlight the league's stupidity in this matter would be for Channing to have Miami-Dade jurisdiction police charge Light with assault. I don't think the "verbal instigation" angle will matter a crap in the real world of the American legal system, where punches to the head are illegal but being verbally obnoxious is not. There is precedent in cases from the NHL for such charges to be considered, especially if the governing body of the league seems negligent about policing such attacks. The terrible, widespread publicity the NFL would get from Channing pursuing criminal charges would be totally deserved given the league's disusting handling of this. If this greedy league wants to protect its cash-cow team (the Pats), then give them a public black eye that will affect their image.
i know it would hurt the league, but i really wish some dirt would turn up that goodell is cheating the league out of money, or was doing something illegal just so his arse would get jailed. seriously. this is getting ridiculous. i try to stop thinking about this, but every time i do i just get angrier. in school, if someone taunted you you were supposed to 'go tell the teacher' because there was nothing punishable by taunting someone. but if someone made fun of you and you punched them you were supposed to be the one in trouble. so you were screwed if you fought back. then, there was also the rule, that if you got in a fight, and the other guy started it, and you either A.) just took the beating or B.) fought back, you got suspended either way. either way, people assume you were at fault when another guy grabs your hair and starts beating you on the head. what the he** is wrong with our systems these days. someone beats your head in, it doesn't matter what you said, he assaulted you!! FREE SPEECH IS NOT A CRIME.
Roger Goodell = Worst NFL Commish Ever. Was Paul Tagliabue EVER involved in the number of scandals as this guy? Not only that but the referees this year have been terrible. I've been watching way more college football now as a result; my blood pressure can't take the anger I feel watching the NFL lately. The National Football League is slowly becoming unwatchable on Goodell's watch, and he seems perfectly ok with that.
Watching the NFLN right now, as they are owned by the NFL, they're not going to criticize the move. pathetic. Joey has $20M because of the Dolphins. I pray to god he blows this up in the media, regardless of fines. This is just obnoxious.
Another point is we dont Know what CC said about his wife. What if what he said about her was true? Does that mean just because Fatty Matty dosnt like the truth that he gets a free pass to swing on people?