The NFL Has Lost Its Mind: Tuck Fine a Joke

Honestly, I’m getting sick of hearing myself scream the same thing over and over and over. But, seriously, is the NFL f-in kidding me?!

I’m speechless. The League today announced a $7,500 fine is now heading Justin Tuck’s way. For what, you might ask? Ostensibly, for tackling the quarterback. Really. All joking aside. That’s what happened. Justin Tuck, a defensive end paid millions to get after, and hit, the quarterback did just that.

He did it completely within the rules. Hell, he even tried to resist the forces of gravity that would cause a greater impact on poor Brooks Bollinger. His reward? This past Sunday, it was a ridiculous, awful, terrible, horrendous, atrocious personal foul call. Today, it is an absolutely inexcusable and, frankly, embarrassing $7,500 fine.

Watch this video and you be the judge. I can’t even believe the call on the field. The personal foul was for, in the referee’s words, “tackling the quarterback with full body weight.” How dare you, Justin! You should know better than to hit someone with your full body weight. And if by some strange chance a quarterback basically jumps up into your arms for a perfect form tackle, you must find a way to immediately decrease your total body weight and resist gravity so as not to land on him with your “full body weight.” Partial body weight? Fine. Full body weight? Not OK. Got it?

Give me a damn break. Polamalu was right, they might as well just start putting flags on everyone or maybe we should just put the QBs in the red jerseys for the regular season, too. I am not even a Giants fan, but rather a football fan and self-proclaimed purist. Mr. Goodell has done some good things regarding players’ conduct off-the-field. However, what he’s doing in terms of the actions on the field, particularly the stuff around hits and fines, is disgraceful.

UPDATE: Kudos, Mr. Commisioner.