James Harrison Criticizes Official, NFL Promptly Fines Him $20K

In a sport that got its true start here in America, a sport that American people pay to watch, and a sport that has the highest revenue per year IN America, this practice disturbs me because it's just plain un-American. What ethical right does the NFL have for fining its players for making a comment to the media about officiating - in the politest way possible? It reeks of totalitarianism. I'm not saying that players and coaches (and yes, even owners) should get away with saying ANYTHING and EVERYTHING about a ref, but the fact that everyone can get fined for even implying that a ref has missed a call - even when a ref himself acknowledges that he's missed a call - sends several messages.


1. The freedoms of speech and dissent - freedoms upon which the nation that birthed the NFL was built - apparently amount to jack squat in said league.

2. The NFL is extremely insecure about the reputation of its officials. Hey, zebras - when someone points out a missed call, it's not a personal attack. In fact, it's not even private. A player or coach saw a missed call, chances are that thousands of fans in the stands and millions of fans watching on televisions around the nation saw the same missed call. Therefore, when someone makes a comment about a missed call, they're not necessarily doing it to call an official's integrity into question. If they're telling the truth, all they're doing is stating the obvious.

3. Referees can, apparently, still get away with pulling the strings on a game (even unintentionally) and they don't have to answer to anyone because the NFL's Thought Police are covering their backsides.

While I don't like James Harrison's last comment in particular, the NFL - that is, the suits that run the show, many of whom have never played a down of professional football - has to understand something. These men go out onto a field and break their bodies against those of equally strong and motivated men - for their own enjoyment, and for the enjoyment of the millions of fans that watch the sport. It should, if the sport has not lost its original spirit, be those men, and the men on the sidelines that lead them - those people ALONE - that should decide the outcome of each match that is played.

Referees are not paid to (intentionally or otherwise) help any team win games. They are out there to ensure that the game is played by the rules, and to ensure that no one is NEEDLESSLY injured.

Kudos to Goodell for doing his very best at straightening out some of the wayward players in the NFL. Now the referees need to be held to the same standard. If a player gets fined for hitting a quarterback and causing him a concussion, a referee should be held equally accountable for his decision to flippantly throw a flag - or to fail to do so when one is called for - that affects a team's record. One win can keep a team out of the playoffs.

If the NFL handled obviously bad calls by the referees, the coaches and players wouldn't HAVE to open their mouths and say anything. When referees are held accountable for game-changing gaffes, THEN the NFL will have a right to fine players, coaches, and owners for things they say about the refs. Until that happens, the practice is unfair and unethical.

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James Harrison is right. That was a legal hit, and he got flagged. Thank god it wasn't a playoff game like last years steelers-jag debacle. Remember when he was held up when Garrard ran for the first down. Refs need to be more accountable, they are screwing up way to many calls this year.

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That game was FULL of bad calls. How many taunting calls were there? The one on the Pittsburgh receiver seemed completely unfounded, as the player clearly didn't even open his mouth. He smiled, pointed the ball at the sideline for a second, an walked away. 15 yards for that? Total BS.

I think we need a booth ref that can overturn flags. They can see these things better than the field refs at times.

TK

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The refereeing was so bad in that game that the Jag & Steelers players should have kicked each and every ref in the nads! though the jags benefitted from a bunch of no calls... Harrison was held every passing play. The hit he was flagged for was utterly rediculous.... it is after all a contact sport. How many time did Big Ben get hit ?? if you use the hit on Garrard as a measuring stick... the jags should have been hit with a few too. AS far as the fine for bad mouthing the refs.... the NFL come off looking like a dictator... killing off any desenters.

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Goodell is destroying the NFL. He is in bed with the mob and is doing anything and everything possible to destroy this game.

1.) he covered up aided and glossed over the biggest cheating scandal of all times with the New England Patriots.

2.) He sees to it the money hits the refs pockets for improper calls.

3.) His investigations into mis-conduct is selective and never consistent.

4.) Initiates a Fan Code of conduct to give the impression he is a good guy looking out for the sports best interest.


This is all smoking mirrors as the NFL becomes just like a back room fighting ring.



.

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what goodell should be doing is keeping the obvious in check, which is to monitor the stupid owners that are backwards in running the teams that are representing the so called league,why not put your nose up their ass goodell and leave the players to play the game

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