The NFL Fine Policy, Or Lack Of One, Is Laughable

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According to reports on Friday, two Chicago Bears received fines from the NFL for their actions in the Bears' Week Nine loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

However, it appears the league made a mistake and switched the dollar amounts on the respective pink slips.

Defensive tackle Tommie Harris was ejected 54 seconds into the game for punching a Cardinals lineman in the face. He was fined $7,500 for the punch.

Meanwhile, quarterback Jay Cutler was fined $20,000 for "verbally abusing" an official after it appeared a pass interference call was missed on a crucial fourth down. Cutler was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on the play.

How does Cutler get nearly three-times the fine of Harris when Harris punched another player? Is there a precedent somewhere that says "the league will kick players while they're down" or "if a defensive lineman's being grossly overpaid, we won't fine him as much"?

I'm not defending either player's actions, and understand why both received notice from the league. But the arbitrary way that Roger Goodell's administration hands out penalties is becoming laughable.

Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Ocho Cinco jokingly wandered toward an official with a one dollar bill on Sunday, and later joked that he was trying to "bribe" the official to give him the catch that was being reviewed. He was fined $20,000 for the joke.

Harris was fined $7,500 for punching a player in the facemask with a fist.

If Goodell wants to clean up the game's image, he needs to be consistent with how he hands out fines. If a laughable joke from Ocho Cinco is viewed as being as bad as Cutler's unsportsmanlike harassment, that's sad. If either of those incidents are viewed as worse than what Harris did, the league's policy is the joke Ocho Cinco should be telling.

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