NFL fines Rodgers-Cromartie $21,000 for hit

[SteelCrazy]

The NFL has fined Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie $21,000 for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Byron Leftwich.

The hit took place in the teams’ first preseason game when Rodgers-Cromartie launched himself at Leftwich, connecting with a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Neither player was hurt.

The 26-year-old cornerback said he didn’t think he did anything wrong, but the NFL obviously disagreed. According to league rules, an opponent cannot initiate conduct with a defenseless player in the act of throwing a pass.

The $21,000 fine is the minimum for a hit on a defenseless player, but ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports some around the NFL disagree with the league’s decision.






Chris Mortensen✔
@mortreport

Rodgers-Cromartie's fine isn't sitting well with everyone around league. One prominent coach thought this would merit suspension.

[url]http://www.sportsnet.ca/football/nfl/2012/08/17/nfl_fines_dominique_rodgers_cromartie_for_illegal_ hit/[/url]

[tiproast]

If the situation were reversed and a Steelers DB performed the same hit on an Eagles QB, then I think the punishment would have been way more severe.

Just an opinion from an NFL fan with no allegiance to either team.

[Discipline of Steel]

The NFL has had this covered for years with the no spearing rule. I dont see why they had to go complexify the whole thing.

If you launch your helmet into another player, you get penalized for spearing....simple.

[hawaiiansteel]

If the situation were reversed and a Steelers DB performed the same hit on an Eagles QB, then I think the punishment would have been way more severe.

Just an opinion from an NFL fan with no allegiance to either team.

I'm pretty sure every poster on this board would agree with you there...

so what's up tiproast, how are the Patriots* looking so far this pre-season?

[tiproast]

I'm pretty sure every poster on this board would agree with you there...

so what's up tiproast, how are the Patriots* looking so far this pre-season?

Thanks for asking.

Pats look OK so far. Some concerns about offensive line depth. Light retired during the off-season. Gallery was brought in but then he retired. Brian Waters hasn't reported yet, but once he does the guard rotation looks solid (Mankins, Waters, and Marcus Cannon). Solder and Vollmer are the tackles, and they're both big, but haven't been very durable. Two decent centers and excellent TEs - a reliable backup tackle is really all that's needed up front. WR corps looks as good as most teams; RBs will be a question mark, but all we need from that group is enough performance to make play-action work.

Defense should be better than last year, but there's really no place to go but up for that unit. The two first-round draft choices (C. Jones & D. Hightower) have been impressive in camp. If DB Dowling can stay healthy and DB McCourty can bounce back from his sophomore slump, I have hopes for a middle-of-the-pack defense.

I expect the coaching staff will have updated to ultra-micro-minature cameras and microphones this year, so we should be able to maintain our edge on the rest of the league there, as well.

Hope your team gets healthy - you're not on our schedule this year, so we won't see you guys until you visit Foxboro in January.

[Mister Pittsburgh]

Thanks for asking.

Pats look OK so far. Some concerns about offensive line depth. Light retired during the off-season. Gallery was brought in but then he retired. Brian Waters hasn't reported yet, but once he does the guard rotation looks solid (Mankins, Waters, and Marcus Cannon). Solder and Vollmer are the tackles, and they're both big, but haven't been very durable. Two decent centers and excellent TEs - a reliable backup tackle is really all that's needed up front. WR corps looks as good as most teams; RBs will be a question mark, but all we need from that group is enough performance to make play-action work.

Defense should be better than last year, but there's really no place to go but up for that unit. The two first-round draft choices (C. Jones & D. Hightower) have been impressive in camp. If DB Dowling can stay healthy and DB McCourty can bounce back from his sophomore slump, I have hopes for a middle-of-the-pack defense.

I expect the coaching staff will have updated to ultra-micro-minature cameras and microphones this year, so we should be able to maintain our edge on the rest of the league there, as well.

Hope your team gets healthy - you're not on our schedule this year, so we won't see you guys until you visit Foxboro in January.

As long as you have Ernie Adams photographic memory up in that coaches box with a direct line to Bellichick's headset you will have an edge.

[tiproast]

As long as you have Ernie Adams photographic memory up in that coaches box with a direct line to Bellichick's headset you will have an edge.

True, but Ernie is inscrutable to most of us. Combining Tarot cards, Ouija boards and voodoo dolls with Bayesian Belief nets and fuzzy logic goes beyond arcane, and enters the realm of the mondo-mysterioso. I must say, though, that the smell of jasmine incense, Thai chicken pizza and Ben-gay wafting from the coaches box is really funky.

[fordfixer]

True, but Ernie is inscrutable to most of us. Combining Tarot cards, Ouija boards and voodoo dolls with Bayesian Belief nets and fuzzy logic goes beyond arcane, and enters the realm of the mondo-mysterioso. I must say, though, that the smell of jasmine incense, Thai chicken pizza and Ben-gay wafting from the coaches box is really funky.

Welcome back tip

[Slapstick]

As long as you have Ernie Adams photographic memory up in that coaches box with a direct line to Bellichick's headset you will have an edge.

I, too, have a pornographic memory...

[JDSteeler]

Only 21K...That's CRAP!!!

DRC tried to intentionally hurt Leftwich!!!

If that was a Steelers player it would have been a 15 yard penalty, an ejection, a fine and suspension!!

Screw the NFL!!

JD

[steelfin]

This doesn't make much sense...The idea of the fines is to deter the players from making these types of hits...

We have a player that openly has stated that he does not believe it was an illegal hit on the QB....How does a a minimum fine send any type of message to this player...

Give him a James Harrison type fine and warn him of possible suspension with repeat behavior...

[pittpete]

First offense

[DukieBoy]

First offense

Croman's first offense was that green stripe in his hair. His third offense was his delusional comments on the hit.

Tip, you guys scored Demps, too, and I am interested to see how his speed is diabolically used up there in NE.

[tiproast]

Tip, you guys scored Demps, too, and I am interested to see how his speed is diabolically used up there in NE.

It could be interesting. People keep saying he's small, but he's the same height as MJD, although 15 lbs lighter.

I envision Belichick pounding on defenses for three quarters with standard RBs and two and three TE formations, and then bringing in Demps for a few touches in the fourth quarter when the opposing D is tired, and try to break a big play on the ground or via a screen pass.

[hawaiiansteel]

I, too, have a pornographic memory...