Ty Cobb would have been proud.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was a bit aggressive during Sunday's AFC Championship Game loss to the Baltimore Ravens, kicking safety Ed Reed in the thigh as he slid with his right foot in the air during a second-quarter scramble. Reed tried to jump over Brady, but he still was kicked.
While Reed was unsuccessful in avoiding Brady, the Patriots quarterback couldn't escape the NFL. The league fined Brady $10,000 for the slide, a source informed of the fine told NFL.com's Ian Rapoport on Wednesday.
Ravens linebacker Bernard Pollard, who has a habit of knocking Patriots players out of games, took issue with the slide. Brady apologized to Reed, even though it was an accident.
The whole incident seems blown out of proportion. It looked like Brady instinctively put the leg up to protect himself from the oncoming Reed -- which isn't an unreasonable reaction. It didn't look like there was any ill intent, and, unlike Cobb, Brady isn't known as a dirty player.
Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.