The NFL fined Packers linebacker Clay Matthews $5,000 for wearing yellow cleats with his nasty throwback uniform.
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu got docked twice that amount for borrowing a team doctor’s cell phone on the sidelines – to assure his wife he was OK after suffering an apparent head injury.
Yep, tough love at its finest.
Considering that Holmgren is his team’s top football executive and a longtime NFL coach, that’s kind of embarrassing – though surely not as embarrassing as (gasp) uniform violations.
Dear Roger:
However, I believe you have a blind spot on the issue of punishing coaches whose behavior tarnishes “The Shield,” and it kind of makes you look like a hypocrite.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of fining players for things like improper shoe color or calling wifey on the phone (possibly in a loopy state) to say, “Honey, let’s have a candlelight dinner tonight … actually, make that dinner in a completely darkened room.” But I get it – you’re the Sheriff, and rules are rules.
That said, if you’re going to flex your power, it kind of helps your credibility when you at least go through the motions of doing so in an even-handed manner. Too often, your decisions seem arbitrary.
Two years ago, after Falcons head coach Mike Smith and Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall had a jawing match during a game, you fined Smith $15,000 and let the player skate. I thought that was the wrong decision, but at least it was the rare case of a coach being held to a higher standard – which is supposedly what your personal-conduct policy dictates.
What Harbaugh and Schwartz did in the heat of the moment two Sundays ago wasn’t nearly that severe, and many of us (myself included) found it entertaining. However, both men exhibited a clear lack of professionalism – Harbaugh with a post-handshake shove to Schwartz’s back, Schwartz with an aggressive shoulder bump and continued effort to get back in his rival’s face before leaving the field – which was clearly embarrassing to the league.
Harbaugh and Schwartz are good coaches whose intensity and competitiveness are qualities which have helped them turn around struggling franchises. However, they’re also representatives of billion-dollar companies who, when conducting business on a telecast seen by tens of millions of viewers, should be able to exhibit professionalism and mutual respect for a few seconds before heading to their separate locker rooms.
Neither coach did this after the 49ers-Lions game, and you should have fined them as a deterrent for those who might behave even less appropriately in the future.
Take my advice and reconsider your decision to let them slide, if only to reassure legions of skeptical players that you’re fair about ensuring that everyone must follow the same standard of behavior.
