The NFL reportedly fined Packers cornerback Charles Woodson $10,000 for punching Saints tight end Dave Thomas during their Week 1 game. Woodson will earn more than $7 million in 2011, making the fine a small drop in the bucket. Do you agree with the amount of the fine, or should the NFL have come down harder on Woodson?
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</table> This one smelled like a sucker punch to me and it was caught on national television and I was thinking $25K here, if not more.
I know Woodson may not have a history with this kind of stuff, much less a deep history, and that's always a huge factor in these decisions. But for those who claim a double standard in some of these circumstances, well, they'll use this as fodder for their argument, rightly or wrongly.
But in an era of increased talk and concern for player safety, a punch like this, if detected, should trigger an ejection, and in my estimation, a fine more in the $25,000-$50,000 range.
The fine is the right amount, and I always think it's a mistake to compare and contrast the fine amount with a player's contract, as contracts are all over the board. Thus, what appears to be a small fine for Charles Woodson could be a much bigger deal to a player with a lesser contract. In addition, it's not the fine that's the major issue for the players. It's the accumulation of penalties against them … one incident, not a big deal. Continuous? Could lead to suspensions, lost time on the field -- and then the player and his team are the ones that truly pay the price.
I have no problem with the fine or the amount -- despite Woodson's salary.
The NFL has a fine schedule and Woodson's punch fit into that. His foul was intentional but it wasn't egregious. We see guys swing at other guys and connect from time to time. If Woodson would have caused serious harm or knocked Thomas out of the game, then the punishment would have been worse.
It also probably doesn't hurt that Woodson is a star player and not a chronic problem.
The fine is appropriate considering Woodson's clean history on the field. He hasn't been involved in any physical altercations with other players, so this serves as the right response to his behavior against the Saints. If he gets into another on-field dispute, the fine should be raised significantly to discourage the behavior.
