Players Tackle 'Excessive' NFL Fines

Pros complain that crackdown on illegal hits is about money, not safety
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 7, 2008 7:38 AM CST
Players Tackle 'Excessive' NFL Fines
Pittsburgh Steelers' Troy Polamalu (43) appears during a preseason NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C. Polamalu has complained that the NFL is going over the top with fines.   (AP Photo/Chuck Burton )

The NFL players union is taking action on member complaints that the league has gone fine-happy this season, reports the Washington Post. Players charge that fines for illegal hits have become excessive. The union director is seeking a new system that would allow disgruntled players to appeal penalty decisions to an independent arbitrator. "It is something the players feel is getting out of hand," said the union chief.

Players have been particularly outspoken about the league's crackdown on moves deemed to pose injury risks. Steelers safety Troy Polamalu has complained that the fines are turning football into "a pansy game," and charges that the policy is more about making money than keeping players safe. Commissioner Roger Goodell said players must be held accountable for violations
(More NFL stories.)

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