Rodney Harrison knows a thing or two about football. He also knows plenty about NFL fines and how ineffective they are when dealing with millionaires.
Once dubbed “The Last Assassin” by the Sporting News, Harrison was fined almost a quarter-million dollars during his professional football career. At the start of many seasons, he would set aside about $40,000 to pay off some expected NFL fines — basically admitting that the penalty for an illegal, bone-jarring hit was well worth it.
Week 6 of this NFL season saw plenty of ugly hits to the heads of receivers. DeSean Jackson, Josh Cribbs, Mohamed Massaquoi and Todd Heap took vicious blows this past weekend ,and the NFL could only sit back, watch replay after replay and decide whether to slap their culprits on the wrist with fines.
It’s money well spent, according to some defenders.
James Harrison, who took out Cribbs and Massaquoi on Sunday, stated that he is out to hurt the opponent — yes, even after hurting these two Browns. Brandon Meriweather, who popped Heap’s head so hard that his mouthguard flew through the air like a firework, said he doesn’t plan on altering his style of play.
After all, what’s a few grand when you’re making seven or more figures?
“You didn’t get my attention when you fined me five grand, 10 grand, 15 grand,” Rodney Harrison, now an NFL analyst, said during the Sunday Night Football broadcast. “You got my attention when I got suspended and I had to get away from my teammates and I disappointed my teammates from not being there. But you have to suspend these guys. These guys are making millions of dollars.”
While the league is starting to look into suspending culprits for cheap, high hits, it shouldn’t take too long to figure out that it’s clearly the only way to cut back on these near-fatal acts. Take it from Rodney Harrison and his $200,000 donation to the cause.
Do you think suspending NFL players will cut back on helmet-to-helmet hits? Share your thoughts below.
