The $25,000 Punch: Roger Goodell Decides Not to Suspend Oakland Raiders' Richard Seymour

The word "suspension" immediately came to my mind following Seymour's throat jab on Big Ben Roethlisberger.

Commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to stick with a hefty fine, slapping defensive end Richard Seymour with a 25K fine.

This is good news for the Raiders, who can't afford to lose their big bruising defensive lineman for the ever important push towards the playoffs.

The sports nation has deemed this latest incident as a typical Raider character flaw, however, it's not exactly just a cheap shot.

Earlier in the contest, Steelers lineman Chris Kemoeatu and the Raiders' Richard Seymour got into a locked arm stare down. The play stopped for a short period of time, as all the players tried to pull them apart. This would be a precursor for what would happen later in the first half.

Roethlisberger sank a corner streak to Emmanuel Sanders for a touchdown in the late minutes of the half and as he started his celebration, his first mistake was putting his hand on Seymour's shoulder pad.

In no way do I condone the actions of Seymour because, from a team stand point, it was extremely selfish. The defensive leader should never be walking unassisted to the locker room, never to come back.

From a competitors prospective, I'm not going to lay the blame on Seymour. The game was being dominated by Roethlisberger and Seymour had a lapse in judgement. As far as the NFL is concerned, there have been far dirtier plays.

As the Raiders hope to rebound next week against Miami, having Seymour in the lineup is monumental. Instances such as punching a quarterback have to be avoided. The Raiders are not out of the picture as they usually are come November.

One thing that was a little disgusting in last Sunday's contest between the Raiders and the Steelers was a roughing the passer call on James Harrison that wiped out a interception run back to the house.

In no way was that malicious and, even as a Raider fan, I was appalled at the amount of things they will call to protect a quarterback.

Yet, somehow Seymour escapes major prosecution for punching one.

Go figure.