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stillers4me
10-22-2011, 08:51 AM
The NFL announced that Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was fined $10,000 for using a cell phone on the sidelines during last week’s game against Jacksonville.

Polamalu was caught by a CBS camera on the sidelines talking on a cell phone not long after leaving the game because of “concussion-like symptoms” following a hit he put on Maurice Jones-Drew during the fourth quarter.

The NFL said in an email: “Possession of cell phones, PDAs or other electronic equipment in the bench area during a game is strictly prohibited by League policy beginning 90 minutes before kickoff through the end of the game.”

It’s was assumed the Polamalu called his wife, Theodora, to let her know how he was was doing.

That wasn’t entirely the case..............

read more @ http://burgh.us/916

zulater
10-22-2011, 09:06 AM
That wasn’t entirely the case.

It was a team doctor’s idea to call Polamalu’s wife on his cell phone to fill her in on Troy’s status.

The team doctory had a lengthy converstation (10-15 minutes) with her before eventually handing the phone Troy for a brief amount of time.

However, CBS caught that brief amount of time on camera and showed it during its live telecast.

The Steelers, and especially coach Mike Tomlin, aren’t happy with the discipline on Polamalu and will go to bat for the All-Pro safety. However, it is highly unlikely that the fine will be reduced or anything else will come of it.

I hope a national columnist runs with this story. This makes Goodell and the league look like the morons they are.

Bluecoat96
10-22-2011, 09:13 AM
That wasn’t entirely the case.

It was a team doctor’s idea to call Polamalu’s wife on his cell phone to fill her in on Troy’s status.

The team doctory had a lengthy converstation (10-15 minutes) with her before eventually handing the phone Troy for a brief amount of time.

However, CBS caught that brief amount of time on camera and showed it during its live telecast.

The Steelers, and especially coach Mike Tomlin, aren’t happy with the discipline on Polamalu and will go to bat for the All-Pro safety. However, it is highly unlikely that the fine will be reduced or anything else will come of it.

I hope a national columnist runs with this story. This makes Goodell and the league look like the morons they are.

Sadly, it probably won't make a bit of difference. When Goodell's decisions are based off of what I perceive to be his over-inflated male ego, it'll be a cold day in you-know-where before he'd admit a mistake.

ALLD
10-22-2011, 02:56 PM
It looks like any opportunity to drop the hammer on a player is taken to the extreme by Goodell. Time for him to go.

Chidi29
10-22-2011, 04:49 PM
Doesn't matter what happened prior to. The point is that he was still on the cell phone. He broke a rule and the NFL is following through on the consequence.

Steeltreal
10-22-2011, 04:51 PM
I think his Head and Shoulders commercials cover that 1000+ times over.

steel striker
10-22-2011, 05:04 PM
Okay so why the 10,000 amount when players only get fined 5,000 for illegal hits? Oh I know like others have posted Troy is a steeler. More proof that Worthless Roger needs to be removed from his post. Not too mention where was the fine on the texan player that hit Ben in the knee's?

Moose
10-22-2011, 06:38 PM
I'm pretty sure it won't make a difference. The rule is the rule, just a shame that the doctor ( supposedly) made the call and handed the phone to Troy. The doctor, being a member of authority, so to speak, initiated the violation and poor Troy got the fine....LOL. Makes no sense, but seems that the Steeler organization ought to cover the financial penalty...since 'they' violated the rule by making the call in the first place.

Chidi29
10-22-2011, 06:54 PM
I'm pretty sure it won't make a difference. The rule is the rule, just a shame that the doctor ( supposedly) made the call and handed the phone to Troy. The doctor, being a member of authority, so to speak, initiated the violation and poor Troy got the fine....LOL. Makes no sense, but seems that the Steeler organization ought to cover the financial penalty...since 'they' violated the rule by making the call in the first place.

Somebody hands you a bag of weed. You take it and get caught with it. It is still your fault.

zulater
10-22-2011, 10:05 PM
Somebody hands you a bag of weed. You take it and get caught with it. It is still your fault.

That might be as stupid of an analogy that I've ever seen from a seriously smart person! :wtf:

A team doctor is talking to an injured players wife, the wife is possibly on the verge of hysteria, so to assure her that all is ok he says something to the effect of here she needs to hear it from you that you're ok Troy. So what do you think Troy is going to do? What would any of us have done? Who here is willing to say they would have refused to take the phone and talk to their spouse given the situation as we understand it?

Yeah just like taking a bag of weed Chidi. :doh:

Craic
10-22-2011, 10:23 PM
That might be as stupid of an analogy that I've ever seen from a seriously smart person! :wtf:

A team doctor is talking to an injured players wife, the wife is possibly on the verge of hysteria, so to assure her that all is ok he says something to the effect of here she needs to hear it from you that you're ok Troy. So what do you think Troy is going to do? What would any of us have done? Who here is willing to say they would have refused to take the phone and talk to their spouse given the situation as we understand it?

Yeah just like taking a bag of weed Chidi. :doh:

Actually, it's a very apt analogy. The rules do not give exceptions for doctors handing the phone to you. In truth, Troy could have taken the phone, and walked down the stairs. He wasn't coming back into the game, or shouldn't have, so it doesn't matter if you miss the game. If the wife wanted to talk, he could have said, "Hey doc, let's go down below." That's what they would have done. But he made the choice to take the phone call on the spot, and violated a rule, knowing the consequences.

I say, good choice.

But good choices still have bad consequences. I've lost jobs because I've made good choices. That's just a reality of life.

zulater
10-22-2011, 10:40 PM
Actually, it's a very apt analogy. The rules do not give exceptions for doctors handing the phone to you. In truth, Troy could have taken the phone, and walked down the stairs. He wasn't coming back into the game, or shouldn't have, so it doesn't matter if you miss the game. If the wife wanted to talk, he could have said, "Hey doc, let's go down below." That's what they would have done. But he made the choice to take the phone call on the spot, and violated a rule, knowing the consequences.

I say, good choice.

But good choices still have bad consequences. I've lost jobs because I've made good choices. That's just a reality of life.

Taking a phone to talk to your wife might violate a league rule, but in no way does that action compare to violating a federal law! Sorry I still say stupid analogy! You say sometimes good choices can have bad consequences. So you tell me, when's the good time to take the bag of weed?

zulater
10-22-2011, 10:58 PM
Column-Polamalu-fine-for-phone-call-out-of-bounds (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Column-Polamalu-fine-for-phone-call-out-of-bounds-95176347)


Roger Goodell had some work to do before jetting off across the pond to try and convince the British that they really do need more American football.

There was a letter to write to Congress on plans for HGH testing, a suspension to hand down to Bengals running back Cedric Benson. And, of course, there were the usual weekly fines to lighten the pockets of players who just can't seem to abide by league rules.

Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk got hit for $10,000 for making an obscene gesture during a win over St. Louis that was caught by television cameras. Teammates Clay Matthews and Tramon Williams received notice they would have to pay $5,000 each for wearing yellow shoes with their throwback uniforms in the same game.

Michael Vick's one-man campaign against violence in the NFL was rewarded when Goodell fined Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo $15,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on the Eagles quarterback.

And Troy Polamalu was fined $10,000 for making a phone call.

OK, not just any phone call. The Steelers star was on the sidelines late in the game against Jacksonville when he decided to ring his wife for a brief chat that was also caught by those ubiquitous TV cameras.


Laying down the law is one thing, though. Enforcing it in such an arbitrary manner is another.

BigNastyDefense
10-22-2011, 11:07 PM
Here's the thing, the NFL didn't HAVE to fine Troy Polamalu in this instance. They CHOSE to do so, and when this fine gets appealed, especially with the bad press the NFL is getting over this, I bet they rescind the fine.

Should Polamalu have told the doc that they need to go out of the view of cameras for this phone call? Yeah. But the guy just got his bell rung, has had multiple concussions at least since college, and from reports his wife was rather hysterical and wanted reassurance from her husband that he was okay. So when the doc said she wants to hear it from him, he took the phone so he could calm her down.

This month, the NFL has players decked out in pink for breast cancer awareness. They are trying to show that they care. Then, the fine a guy who's assuring his wife that he's okay. Really? That's rather hypocritical if you ask me.

O'Malley
10-22-2011, 11:07 PM
Like sand through the hour glass so are the days of our lives..... The new NFL like or or not...

zulater
10-22-2011, 11:09 PM
Here's the thing, the NFL didn't HAVE to fine Troy Polamalu in this instance. They CHOSE to do so, and when this fine gets appealed, especially with the bad press the NFL is getting over this, I bet they rescind the fine.

Should Polamalu have told the doc that they need to go out of the view of cameras for this phone call? Yeah. But the guy just got his bell rung, has had multiple concussions at least since college, and from reports his wife was rather hysterical and wanted reassurance from her husband that he was okay. So when the doc said she wants to hear it from him, he took the phone so he could calm her down.

This month, the NFL has players decked out in pink for breast cancer awareness. They are trying to show that they care. Then, the fine a guy who's assuring his wife that he's okay. Really? That's rather hypocritical if you ask me.

Great post!

Moose
10-22-2011, 11:28 PM
Agree zulater......Great post BigNastyDefense ! NFL definitely talking out of both sides of their mouths.

Chidi29
10-23-2011, 12:55 AM
That might be as stupid of an analogy that I've ever seen from a seriously smart person! :wtf:

A team doctor is talking to an injured players wife, the wife is possibly on the verge of hysteria, so to assure her that all is ok he says something to the effect of here she needs to hear it from you that you're ok Troy. So what do you think Troy is going to do? What would any of us have done? Who here is willing to say they would have refused to take the phone and talk to their spouse given the situation as we understand it?

Yeah just like taking a bag of weed Chidi. :doh:

Moose's point was that it is stupid to fine Troy because he was given the phone and did not make the phone call himself. To Moose, that absolves him of responsibility. But just like taking a bag of illegal drugs, you still took it and the responsibility still falls on you.

Chidi29
10-23-2011, 12:57 AM
Column-Polamalu-fine-for-phone-call-out-of-bounds (http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/Column-Polamalu-fine-for-phone-call-out-of-bounds-95176347)


Roger Goodell had some work to do before jetting off across the pond to try and convince the British that they really do need more American football.

There was a letter to write to Congress on plans for HGH testing, a suspension to hand down to Bengals running back Cedric Benson. And, of course, there were the usual weekly fines to lighten the pockets of players who just can't seem to abide by league rules.

Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk got hit for $10,000 for making an obscene gesture during a win over St. Louis that was caught by television cameras. Teammates Clay Matthews and Tramon Williams received notice they would have to pay $5,000 each for wearing yellow shoes with their throwback uniforms in the same game.

Michael Vick's one-man campaign against violence in the NFL was rewarded when Goodell fined Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo $15,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on the Eagles quarterback.

And Troy Polamalu was fined $10,000 for making a phone call.

OK, not just any phone call. The Steelers star was on the sidelines late in the game against Jacksonville when he decided to ring his wife for a brief chat that was also caught by those ubiquitous TV cameras.


Laying down the law is one thing, though. Enforcing it in such an arbitrary manner is another.

Actually, not fining Troy makes the rule "arbitrary". The rule is pretty black and white. Don't have a cell phone on the bench. Period, there aren't any exceptions. We, including the league, realize that Troy wasn't being Joe Horn and celebrating a TD, but the rule is the rule. Troy broke it and he has to face the consequences.

zulater
10-23-2011, 05:27 AM
Actually, not fining Troy makes the rule "arbitrary". The rule is pretty black and white. Don't have a cell phone on the bench. Period, there aren't any exceptions. We, including the league, realize that Troy wasn't being Joe Horn and celebrating a TD, but the rule is the rule. Troy broke it and he has to face the consequences.

Troy didn't have a phone on the bench, a member of the medical staff did, and I'm sure that's standard operating procedure for them to do so. There's a huge grey area in this one, a big enough grey area to turn a tractor trailer around in, and it's in that grey area that a Commissioner who was willing to exercise his own grey matter a little could have reached to suspend a fine in this one particular instance.

Do you really think there would have been league wide outrage had that been the path chosen? A league wide breakdown in discipline with total chaos to ensue perhaps?

As Mike Tomlin said early in the week, it was simply a matter of employing a little common sense and applying it t the situation as it existed. In the end Goodell and his minions have once again made the league look bad when applying a little commons sense could have made the league look good.

zulater
10-23-2011, 05:50 AM
Actually, not fining Troy makes the rule "arbitrary". The rule is pretty black and white. Don't have a cell phone on the bench. Period, there aren't any exceptions. We, including the league, realize that Troy wasn't being Joe Horn and celebrating a TD, but the rule is the rule. Troy broke it and he has to face the consequences.


A better example of arbitrary would be to change rules in season on the fly, and then fining players for breaking rules that had as of yet been clearly defined. Or his handling of Beg Ben's situation.

zulater
10-23-2011, 06:00 AM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/21/troy-polamalu-cell-phone-fined-wife_n_1025838.html#s426205&title=John_Harbaugh

Read the tweets that follow the story. Prisco and Peter King aren't Steeler homers, and they seem to see it the same way as I do.

Godfather
10-23-2011, 09:19 AM
Here's the thing, the NFL didn't HAVE to fine Troy Polamalu in this instance. They CHOSE to do so, and when this fine gets appealed, especially with the bad press the NFL is getting over this, I bet they rescind the fine.

Should Polamalu have told the doc that they need to go out of the view of cameras for this phone call? Yeah. But the guy just got his bell rung, has had multiple concussions at least since college, and from reports his wife was rather hysterical and wanted reassurance from her husband that he was okay. So when the doc said she wants to hear it from him, he took the phone so he could calm her down.

This month, the NFL has players decked out in pink for breast cancer awareness. They are trying to show that they care. Then, the fine a guy who's assuring his wife that he's okay. Really? That's rather hypocritical if you ask me.


Actually, that's a very good point. Troy was technically supposed to leave the bench area before taking the phone, but you can't expect him to remember an obscure rule when he just sustained a concussion. The concussion should be his defense.

zulater
10-23-2011, 10:26 AM
Actually, that's a very good point. Troy was technically supposed to leave the bench area before taking the phone, but you can't expect him to remember an obscure rule when he just sustained a concussion. The concussion should be his defense.

That, and that it wasn't his phone, and that as far as we know he didn't initiate or ask to have the conversation then and there.

tube517
10-23-2011, 10:29 AM
A better example of arbitrary would be to change rules in season on the fly, and then fining players for breaking rules that had as of yet been clearly defined. Or his handling of Beg Ben's situation.

BINGO

Austin87
10-23-2011, 10:43 AM
I agree with what someone in the other thread said about sending out a memo to teams reminding them about the rule and giving Troy a warning. That would have sufficed. The number of fines is getting absurd.

It would be interesting to see what team in the league gets fined the most,because it seems after every game one or two Steelers gets fined.

zulater
10-23-2011, 10:48 AM
I agree with what someone in the other thread said about sending out a memo to teams reminding them about the rule and giving Troy a warning. That would have sufficed. The number of fines is getting absurd.

It would be interesting to see what team in the league gets fined the most,because it seems after every game one or two Steelers gets fined.

I think there's a surtax wherein the Steelers get fined when the rest of the league accrue's too many infractions.

Chidi29
10-23-2011, 11:56 AM
Troy didn't have a phone on the bench, a member of the medical staff did, and I'm sure that's standard operating procedure for them to do so. There's a huge grey area in this one, a big enough grey area to turn a tractor trailer around in, and it's in that grey area that a Commissioner who was willing to exercise his own grey matter a little could have reached to suspend a fine in this one particular instance.

Do you really think there would have been league wide outrage had that been the path chosen? A league wide breakdown in discipline with total chaos to ensue perhaps?

As Mike Tomlin said early in the week, it was simply a matter of employing a little common sense and applying it t the situation as it existed. In the end Goodell and his minions have once again made the league look bad when applying a little commons sense could have made the league look good.

No, there isn't much grey area.

The rules says the player can't use the cell phone during the game and Troy did. Doesn't matter if it was his or that'd be a major loophole you could exploit.

The league did this because if they didn't, other players could do the same in the future and it would get out of hand. They probably didn't like to do it but as I said earlier, they don't fine him here and you open up Pandora's Box.

Chidi29
10-23-2011, 11:56 AM
A better example of arbitrary would be to change rules in season on the fly, and then fining players for breaking rules that had as of yet been clearly defined. Or his handling of Beg Ben's situation.

Yes it is. And I have been critical of Goodell for that many times.

It is also irrelvent to this discussion.

zulater
10-23-2011, 12:20 PM
No, there isn't much grey area.

The rules says the player can't use the cell phone during the game and Troy did. Doesn't matter if it was his or that'd be a major loophole you could exploit.

The league did this because if they didn't, other players could do the same in the future and it would get out of hand. They probably didn't like to do it but as I said earlier, they don't fine him here and you open up Pandora's Box.

Simple solution. Reprimand and possibly fine the Steelers for their team doctor's actions.

I think that will prevent the rampant impending run of cell phone use you seem to fear will take place if this goes unpunished. ( rolling eyes)

To this situation. I don't give a damn who you are or where you are, if you have an ounce of decency and someone hands you the phone and says your wife is distraught and beside herself with worry and needs to hear from you firsthand that you're ok, you're taking that phone.

The only person I could imagine who wouldn't is Roger Goodell who couldn't bother to find time to disconnect himself from Robert Kraft's nutsack in order to do so. :coffee:

Chidi29
10-23-2011, 01:09 PM
I would've been ok if the doctor was fined, too. Both broke the rules.

I'm not saying it's rampant but letting this slides creates grey area. Now we have to change the definition of what is an important and needed phone call.

Remember that it might not just be Goodell agreeing with the fine. There are plenty of people before Goodell who review finable situations. And if Troy is able to appeal and loses, then you can add two more to that list.

BigNastyDefense
10-23-2011, 02:48 PM
I would've been ok if the doctor was fined, too. Both broke the rules.

I'm not saying it's rampant but letting this slides creates grey area. Now we have to change the definition of what is an important and needed phone call.

Remember that it might not just be Goodell agreeing with the fine. There are plenty of people before Goodell who review finable situations. And if Troy is able to appeal and loses, then you can add two more to that list.

It wouldn't create any gray area. The NFL has done it before, given a warning for something and then sent a memo to all 32 teams reminding them and telling them to remind players & that any infraction afterwards will result in a fine. It wouldn't cause an epidemic of cell phone usage like you think.

Chidi29
10-23-2011, 02:50 PM
It wouldn't create any gray area. The NFL has done it before, given a warning for something and then sent a memo to all 32 teams reminding them and telling them to remind players & that any infraction afterwards will result in a fine. It wouldn't cause an epidemic of cell phone usage like you think.

They could've done that and I would've been happy with it, but the league is well within their rights to fine him.

tube517
10-23-2011, 03:43 PM
They could've done that and I would've been happy with it, but the league is well within their rights to fine him.

And they are well within their rights to give a reasonable fine

Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk

BigNastyDefense
10-23-2011, 06:39 PM
They could've done that and I would've been happy with it, but the league is well within their rights to fine him.

And if they would have fines him $2k, that would have been fine. But he got fined more for being handed a cell phone than a guy gets fined for a chop block.

Chidi29
10-23-2011, 07:02 PM
And if they would have fines him $2k, that would have been fine. But he got fined more for being handed a cell phone than a guy gets fined for a chop block.

Like I said, the numbers are probably predetermined.

zulater
10-23-2011, 07:06 PM
Like I said, the numbers are probably predetermined.

Are you kidding us? Nothing's predetermined with Goodell. He defines random with every move he makes.

Chidi29
10-23-2011, 07:25 PM
Are you kidding us? Nothing's predetermined with Goodell. He defines random with every move he makes.

Then why do you see the chop blocks fine typically the same?

And again, Goodell isn't the only one involved in the process.

86WARD
10-23-2011, 07:28 PM
He should be fined $10,000 for dropping that INT today...