Patriots Def. Lineman Myron Pryor fined $7,500 for Favre hit and a slew of other Defensive Players fined around the NFL from recent tackles.

NEW YORK (AP)—The NFL fined two New England Patriots on Friday for hits on Brett Favre.
Defensive tackle Myron Pryor was docked $7,500 for his hit that cut the Minnesota quarterback’s chin. Favre left the Vikings’ loss midway through the fourth quarter Sunday and needed 10 stitches in his chin. Pryor was not penalized on the play, in which his helmet got under Favre’s facemask and cut Favre’s chin.

Patriots linebacker Gary Guyton was fined $7,500 for a roughing-the-passer penalty when he unnecessarily struck Favre in the head and neck area earlier in the game.

Tennessee defensive end Jason Babin was fined $20,000 for roughing
San Diego QB Philip Rivers when he unnecessarily struck Rivers in the knee area. Babin previously this season had been fined by the league.



Coming soon to an NFL Stadium near you..!<<)

Two San Francisco 49ers linebackers were fined for hits on Denver quarterback Kyle Orton in the 49ers’ win last Sunday at London.

Manny Lawson was docked $12,500 for roughing the passer, using his helmet to hit Orton in the chest. Lawson is a second offender, having been fined for unnecessary roughness last December.

Ahmad Brooks loses $10,000 for striking Orton in the head and neck area. It also was his second offense, the other coming last November.

Seahawks defensive end Chris Clemons was fined $7,500 for a late hit on Raiders quarterback Jason Campbell. He is a three-time offender, with previous incidents in September and January last season
when he was with the Eagles.

Two Raiders also were fined, including guard Robert Gallery(notes) for a late hit on Clemons that cost him $7,500. Rookie linebacker Rolando McClain was hit for a $7,500 fine for grabbing Seahawks running back Justin Forsett by the helmet in an attempt to tackle him.

The league has cracked down on illegal hits and has promised suspensions for hits to the head or neck area of defenseless players. Since that crackdown nearly three weeks ago, no players have been suspended.

Associated Press

Difficult situation that calls for thinking outside the box IMHO.

In all seriousness although I am a big NFL fan I hate to see any player on any team badly hurt and understand quarterbacks, receivers and running backs do need some sort of extra protection from certain kind of hits. I would have no problem if the league announced all this fine money was going to a special facility designed to develop equipment that would offer all players better protection around their head and neck areas especially (knees are another area that could use protection).

Right now while I am sure somewhere there is research going on for better helmets etc the fines only exist to act like speeding tickets. They raise money for the league and cause defensive players to proceed with caution like a driver on a highway.

The helmet itself has come a long way in the last 50 years or so but apparently it has developed more as a weapon than as a protective device. In the old leather helmet days players had no hardened headgear to use as a tackling device. Maybe the answer is to soften the blow delivered by headgear rather than harden the helmet for protection.

Another factor is all this research is bound to create a more expensive piece of equipment which is no big deal for the NFL or Division 1 College Football programs but it does effect kids from lower middle class to poor families. How can they afford a top of the line helmet that offers any real protection?The best helmets run in the $200 vicinity. Sure you can get them cheaper but at what cost to your child's health?

I have to admit I don't have the answers as coaches want aggressive hard hitting players, all you can do is penalize either the player or his team for a what is now come to be known as an illegal hit if a player is hit in the head or neck while "defenseless".

I do know The NFL owes it to it's players and fans to spend the money required to develop equipment that will protect the players in a way that lets the game be played like it was designed to be played.

wil.