Even days later, watching the video of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepping onto the playing field in front of Jacoby Jones during a kick-off return has a surreal feel to it. I mean, Tomlin is even smiling like a kid when he did it. Was he on some kind of cold medication or what? Anyway, that little dance onto the edge of the field cost him a cool $100,000 in fines to the NFL Commissioner’s office.
OK, it was a brief moment and a foolish act, but it’s all over now and the guilty party has been punished. Please don’t make it any worse for the Steelers organization by depriving them of a draft choice in the upcoming NFL Draft in April. That would be punishing a team of men for the inappropriate act of an individual, even if that guy is the head coach.
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Mike Tomlin has already gone on record to apologize for the act. “As I stated yesterday, I take full responsibility for my actions, and I apologize for causing negative attention to the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. I accept the penalty that I received. I will no longer address this issue as I am preparing for an important game this Sunday.” Would that everyone else could just do that.
One of the most surprising things about the incident was that there was no flag thrown by the refs although the video clearly shows one right on top of the play.
Jacoby Jones said after the game that he did have to swerve in order to miss Tomlin just before he was finally tackled out of bounds.
Tomlin addressed the issues of the fallout from his seemingly inadvertent act. “I understand there are repercussions that come with a blunder of that nature. With my position (as head coach) comes the charge of preserving and protecting the integrity of football.”
The $100,000 fine was issued by Ray Anderson, the NFL’s VP for football operations. The future of the Steelers organization itself was also threatened when the league also added, “in addition, because the conduct affected a play on the field, a modification or forfeiture of draft choices will be considered after the final order of the 2014 draft has been determined.”
Let’s hope that no one in Pittsburg has done anything to piss off Roger Goodell or anyone else in the NFL Commissioner’s office. Taking away a draft is not a suitable punishment considering the pettiness of original act itself.
