Add Bernard Pollard to the ever-growing chorus of players who believe increased fines have a negative effect on the NFL.
The Baltimore Ravens safety received a questionable fine for a hit on Jaguars running back Deji Karim last week. Pollard believes it's the type of punishment that's "killing the game."
"This has been a game where, I say, 'Do not tell somebody go run smack dab at 85 miles (per hour) into that wall but be careful, you don't do that. Don't wear a seat belt but be careful,'" Pollard told KILT in Houston on Wednesday (via SportsRadioInterviews.com). "This is a game where it's a car crash; this is a game where guys are putting it on the line; this is a game where coaches are trying to out-strategize other coaches across the field, and it takes 11 guys to get it done.
"So you've got 22 guys running around, they're fit guys, and they're running around hitting each other with helmets on," Pollard said. "There's no way you're going to tell me be careful by doing that."
Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher has previously stated his frustration with defensive players not receiving the same protection as players on offense. The All-Pro discussed his confusion over league policy during a Thursday interview on ESPN's "Mike and Mike In The Morning."
“I got penalized against Detroit for a hit but didn’t get fined. That’s kind of frustrating, you cost your team 15 yards and a first down, and they don’t fine you, why was it illegal?" Urlacher said. "I know the referees are going to call those penalties but why can’t we review those penalties?
“It’s just frustrating because you don’t know what’s going to be a penalty and what’s not going to be a penalty and you’re assuming if you get a penalty you’re going to get fined," he said, via ProFootballTalk.com. "Or you don’t get a penalty and then you do get fined. I don’t understand.”
We've reached the point where we're hearing the same message from NFL players in a hundred different ways. Players are getting fined every week, and the natural talking point has become that the system is broken.
Pollard added an entertaining way to enter some checks and balances into the whole process.
"If these (referees) want to stick with their calls, if they're going to go with them, they need to be fined as well," he said. "I don't know how much they're paid, but it needs to be applied to them. There needs to be a replay system because this is killing a lot of teams."
This, of course, is a bad idea. But we'll award points for creativity.