Vikings' DE Ray Edwards Upset With Fine, Doesn't Wear Panties

Give Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards credit. At least he understands that his hit on Buccaneers' quarterback Jeff Garcia last Sunday wasn't right and probably deserved a punishment.

However, that was only half the reason for his $25,000 fine from the NFL. Edwards doesn't really like the other reason he was fined. The NFL got him for a leg whip on an offensive lineman in the same game. Edwards spoke out Monday, and he didn't hide his anger much.

"We signed up to play this game," he said. "Football didn't choose us, we chose it. No offense to women but men don't wear panties. We chose to play this game. We don't cry when we get cracked unexpectedly. That fine is what it is. Just got to go out there and play ball and have fun.

"I appealed it. That's ridiculous. One is a leg-whip, which I've never heard of. OK, I can respect the first one. I hit Garcia a little late. Even during that play I told him, 'My bad. I thought you still had the ball.' He was running around like a rabbit so I didn't know if he had the ball still or not."

Hey, at least he understands that men aren't supposed to wear panties.

I didn't see the leg whip, so I can't vouch for the NFL or for Edwards. However, I do think he got off easy for the Garcia hit. He can claim until he's blue in the face that he thought Garcia still had the ball, and coach Brad Childress can claim all he wants that Garcia should have been called for intentional grounding, but Edwards took three steps and plowed into Garcia. There is no excuse for that in today's "be extra cautious around quarterbacks" NFL.