Dear Roger Goodell: NFL Fines & Penalties Are Getting Ridiculous

Something needs to be done about the process behind the fines in the NFL because Roger Goodell has clearly lost control of the procedure.

Maybe the NFL needs a season off the field in 2011 just so they can sort out some of these issues before they leave a permanent bad mark on the league.

I understand something clearly needs to be done about the epidemic of helmet-to-helmet hits and concussions, but the current process of fines and penalties is unfair and unbalanced to say the least.

Players are losing increasingly large amounts of money over hits that a majority of people don't agree with.

When that list of people that disagree with some of the penalties, calls and fines includes an ever-expanding number of current and former NFL players and coaches, there might be an issue that needs to be addressed.

Under the current system of fines, only defensive players are being fined for hits that Goodell and the league decide were "too dangerous" and for leading with their helmets.

What about all of the running backs and offensive players in the league that lower their helmets and use them like battering rams and speed up into contact?

How is that not just as dangerous as a defensive player leading with their helmet?

Some players have been hit multiple times with fines and they are beginning to add up.

James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers has been fined $125,000 for hits that Goodell and the league deem illegal. However, several of those hits have been widely discussed and views on their legality have varied broadly.

Sherrod Martin of the Carolina Panthers was fined $40,000 for his hit on Evan Moore of the Cleveland Browns this past weekend. Although Martin is a repeat offender, that fine is $15,000 steeper than the ones handed out to Cortland Finnegan and Andre Johnson for their on-field brawl on Sunday.

Everyone involved in the league from Goodell to the players to the owners need to reach an agreement on a system of fines and penalties that works for everybody involved. There are plenty of reasonable options for the league to look at in the offseason, but it has become clear that some kind of change must be made.