Darnell Dockett might've missed his calling. After perpetrating the bucking bronco on teammate Antonio Smith following his Matt Ryan sack in the end zone for a safety, I'm convinced Dockett could've been the guy on the other end of a Shane Bacon-at-the-rodeo interview.
For now, Dockett seems quite content with his current gig, although the league was less impressed with him going "Men Without Hats" on Smith than those of us who love a little '80s Montreal pop with our football: the NFL fined him $20,000 and, just to show they don't have a sense of humor, they fined Smith -- who as best I can tell was the victim in all this -- ten grand.
I'll save you the "THIS DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!?" diatribe because, well, I'm tired of beating that drum, and I suspect you feel the same way. But I will just point this out: the Colts' Dwight Freeney was fined -- wait for it -- $20,000 for ripping the officials following Saturday's loss to the Chargers.
"Those were the worst [expletive] calls I've seen in a long time," he said. "To have a game of that magnitude taken out of your hands, it's just disgusting. It's not like they made one [expletive] bad call – it's three calls, in overtime. ... "I can't say this enough: if the league really wants to curtail these disgusting acts, they need to arbitrarily mete out punishments. And the criminology literature agrees*.
* "agrees" = "couldn't disagree more."
Life in the No Fun League'
While celebrating a safety, Arizona's Darnell Docket (No. 90) jumped on the back of teammate Antonio Smith (No. 94) and rode him like a rodeo bronco. Dockett was fine $20,000. Click through to see more questionable NFL fines over the years.
Kevin Terrell, Getty Images
Culprit: Wes Welker
What He Did: Made a "Snow Angel" after scoring this Week 16 touchdown in wintry conditions versus Arizona.
NFL Fined Him: $10,000
Stephan Savoia, AP
Culprit: Shaun Ellis, New York Jets
What He Did: Chucked a large block of snow into the Seattle stands in retaliation for fans pelting New York's players with snowballs
NFL Fined Him: $10,000
Joe Robbins, Getty Images
Culprit: Benjamin Watson, New England Patriots
What He Did: Stuffed the ball up his jersey as an end zone tribute to his expectant wife and the couple's yet-to-be-born daughter
NFL Fined Him: $10,000
Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images
Culprit: Brandon Jones, Tennessee Titans
What He Did: Simulated an arrest during a touchdown celebration against the Jaguars
NFL Fined Him: $15,000
Doug Benc, Getty Images
Culprit: Ryan Clark, Pittsburgh Steelers
What He Did: Wore eye black with the No. 21 to honor his late Redskins teammate, Sean Taylor
NFL Fined Him: $5,000
Gene J. Puskar, AP
Culprit: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
What He Did: Played the bongo drums on the sideline after a 66-yard TD run
NFL Fined Him: $10,000
Jamie Squire, Getty Images
Culprit: Ronnie Brown, Miami Dolphins
What He Did: Performed a choreographed "Cupid Shuffle" dance with teammates
NFL Fined Them: $10,000 each
Doug Benc, Getty Images
Culprit: Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys
What He Did: Mocked the Patriots' Spygate scandal by using the football to simulate a camera
NFL Fined Him: $7,500
Eliot J. Schechter, Getty Images
Culprit: Chad Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals
What He Did: Went through warm-ups before a game with an "Ocho Cinco" label on his jersey
NFL Fined Him: $5,000
Al Behrman, AP
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-10-2009 @ 3:35PM
imapatsfan said...
that is hilarious!. The ref at the end, literally. I can see the still shots now.
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 1:08PM
refhater said...
So Freeney gets fined for telling the truth. Like all other players in the past.
It is what it is........Most referees are horrible and flag happy. Its a power control sickness they have. What needs to happen is to have them put a uniform on and let the players just beat the living h#ll out of them !
The crew that did the colt - charger game was horrible and flag happy.
There is no way the chargers should have beat the colts. the colts are the better team. The chargers are garbage and after getting to play the steelers sunday they will wish they had lost to the colts.
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 8:12PM
EJAY said...
Perhaps you should review the tape...those were good calls and the Colts were not the better team....sad loser.....
1-10-2009 @ 11:22PM
coltshater said...
I wouyld have surly thought that Dungy would have taught Freeny the weeny not to be such a crybaby. Look at the replays-all legit calls to bad the Bolts really got hosed by Hoculi.
1-11-2009 @ 12:09AM
John Brooks said...
Refhater. What a name. Do you hate ALL authority figures? Probably. With a name and a comment such as yours, my most fervent prayer is: please don't have children. Let your sickness die with your death.
1-10-2009 @ 6:35PM
Ed said...
Ryan, you need to go back to grade school. I still can not understand what thought you were trying to convey. You must have missed every English class after 5th grade. Your grammar and structure are amateur status at best.
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 9:57PM
ryan said...
Ed,
You point make good!
/jeebus
1-11-2009 @ 1:42AM
mike said...
nice "men without hats" reference, and 5th grade was a little harsh maybe 8th at a really good school
1-10-2009 @ 6:41PM
Gary said...
Officiating is horrible. Penalty touchdowns are so common that no one complains anymore. Those calls on Sunday were pretty bad. In college football it is even worse. Some teams when they play at home get at least 3 pehalty touchdowns a game. I believe that they should stop calling holding because certain teams get away with it every play. Just watch USC or Oklahoma play.
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 6:51PM
lighthouselady said...
Freeney sounds like a sore loser. The Colts lost, accept it, San Diego outplayed the Colts!
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 7:00PM
new mark lewis said...
It's a shame the owners of every pro team can't get together and create a new league, maybe the North America Football League and tell the NFL to kiss their a$$. Then tell the media if they want professional football then they have to work out a deal with the new NAFL. This way they can create a new system and rules that don't allow the officals to be the stars instead allow the stars to be STARS. They are who we really tune in to see aren't they ?
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 7:08PM
JOHN said...
Did not Dwight Freeney saying this after the bogus face mask call on on NEW ENGLAND to give the colts a free ticket to there Super Bowl
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 7:41PM
BILL said...
Free ticket my a**
1-10-2009 @ 7:31PM
Lighthouse Extinguisher said...
We (Colts) don't MIND losing when it is warranted...what we DO mind is having the team of officials who were documented as calling the most obtuse and questionable infractions in ALL OF FOOTBALL for the 2008-2009 season, RAPING us out of the victory that WE CLEARLY OUTPLAYED THE CHARGERS to win.
Pull your overly gregarious (and "sized") RADOME out of your microscopic EXHAUST AREA and call 'em as they "ARE"...NOT as "YOU SEE 'EM".....
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 8:11PM
EJAY9000 said...
Again I say..poor loser...how do you figure the Colts outplayed the Chargers? You probably said that last year...yards gained does not dictate outplaying...points scored dictates that....the calls were legitimate...look at the tapes...geeze you guys have no clue!!!!
1-10-2009 @ 7:57PM
JOHN said...
Free ticket the reffs even wrote a letter to the patriots saying they blew the call face mask was bogus 1st and 4 on the 1 my mother could walk that in FREE TICKET to the spokes person for everything under the sun the pouting peton manning
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 8:14PM
OtisCampbell said...
Freeney is being a big crybaby. All three of those penalties in OT were legit. If you see different you must be a whiny Colts fan. I don't see how ANYONE can say that the Colts clearly out played the Bolts. Sproles alone out played the Colts. On the last drive, that first holding penalty, the D player clearly grabbed the the pulling O lineman's shoulder pads and took him down. Hellooooo. Thats Holding. Legit. The second holding call on Jennings was legit as well. On the third face mask penalty the D player had a hand full of face mask and was twisting it around. Umm Uhh I think thats what a fask mask penalty is. Duh. You can't just stop calling penalties late in games and let the players do what ever they want. Don't blame the refs. The Colts blew that game. They deserved to lose. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Freeney your a cry baby.
Reply
1-11-2009 @ 1:44AM
socvideo said...
excuse me but if that was a huge market team such as the chargers or the pats or dolphins that call wolda been overlooked just like the 3 or 4 holds on the last TD in OT those refs were pitiful and had been all year. They should not have been allowed to be out there durring the playoffs. Hocculi made 2 bad calls all year and they banned him and talked about firing him these refs made like 10 in a game. Madden was talking about it all game long so its an obvious thing that they suck so fire them and move on.
1-11-2009 @ 5:12PM
OtisCampbell said...
Oh now it's because of the size of the town. Sheesh. Thats ridiculous. Indy is a larger town than two fo the cities you refered to. SanDiego outplayed the Colts. That simple.
1-11-2009 @ 5:15PM
OtisCampbell said...
Oh now it's because of the size of the town. Sheesh. Thats
ridiculous. Indy is a larger town than two of the cities you refered to. What a cop out.