I know that the NFL gets some heat for handing out fines for rules that some folks think don’t make a whole lot of sense or are just plain silly. But I, for one, am glad that the league isn’t putting up with any garbage. Next think you know, people will be running around willy-nilly creating subtle, non-intrusive tributes to their murdered friends, and we just can’t have that.
Steelers safety Ryan Clark is the latest guilty party, busted for trying to pay respect to his friend Sean Taylor by radically modifying his uniform. Wait, he did what? And he got fined $5,000? Oh, come on, Goodell.
Apparently, Clark’s transgression was the horrible act of etching the number “21″ in his eye black. That was enough to get his paycheck docked, because…uhhhh…I guess it threatened to destroy the game of football as we know it. Other things that will get you docked $5,000 include blasting someone in the helmet after a play is over or pulling someone’s facemask so hard their whole head turns around. Yeah, it’s pretty much the same thing.
Clark was a close friend and former teammate of Taylor’s, and has been wearing his #21 jersey in practice all year. But he’s not wearing #21 in the games because, well, there’s probably not any good reason. The OBSERVER-REPORTER of Washington, PA explains:
Clark petitioned the league in the offseason to change his game jersey to honor Taylor, but was denied. In last week’s 21-14 loss to the Giants at Heinz Field, Clark had the number 21 written on his eye black patches, drawing a $5,000 fine from the league.
“That’s what happens when you’re a short, skinny guy from Louisiana and not that fast,” Clark said. “That’s how they treat you.”
We should be talking about Clark’s bond with Taylor and the small, but meaningful way he’s decided to pay tribute to his late friend. But instead we’re talking about $5,000 fines. Way to go, NFL.
This WASHINGTON POST article from just after Taylor’s death last year shows Clark as one of the more important friends in Taylor’s life.
Clark was looking forward to this week’s game in Washington against his old team, but probably won’t play due to a dislocated shoulder. He vows, however, to continue wearing the “21″ eye black in future games.
7:49 pm on October 30th, 2008
There are no small tributes - just small league officials who can't pass up an opportunity to collect another $5,000.
7:56 pm on October 30th, 2008
This is stupid. No, it's beyond stupid. It's completely asinine. It's not as if Ryan Clark having small numbers under his eyes was going to unfairly confuse Eli Manning.
7:57 pm on October 30th, 2008
I've said it once today, and I'll say it again - the No Fun League strikes again!
7:59 pm on October 30th, 2008
If Clark knew he was going to be fined $5K just for eye black, he should've clotheslined Eli just to get his money's worth.
8:00 pm on October 30th, 2008
Make that the No Feelings League.
8:01 pm on October 30th, 2008
Couldn't they lave left him off with a warning? It was in tribute to a dead friend, after all.
8:07 pm on October 30th, 2008
I believe the real "stealers" here are the NFL officials swiping $5,000 from a guy just trying to pay his respects to a fallen friend.
8:09 pm on October 30th, 2008
Hawaii:
Sorry, but there's money to be made.
8:11 pm on October 30th, 2008
What if this was Chad Johnson or Terrell Owens? Would the fine have been higher?
8:20 pm on October 30th, 2008
It's one thing to get fined to trying to cripple somebody, but for making a different makeup choice?
8:24 pm on October 30th, 2008
The Steelers' #21 is worn by RB Mewelde Moore. If Ryan maybe had asked Mewelde to switch numbers before the season started, Mewelde probably would have done it.
But I don't know if he did ask, or if the NFL wouldn't let Clark change even after asking Moore.
8:27 pm on October 30th, 2008
“That’s what happens when you’re a short, skinny guy from Louisiana and not that fast,” Clark said. “That’s how they treat you.”
Bet he gets fined another $5,000 for saying that.
8:54 pm on October 30th, 2008
Why should the NFL care? Unless he's scratching out some important advertising stenciled in on that eye black.
9:34 pm on October 30th, 2008
Has Clark thought about taking the Chad Ocho Cinco route, and changing his surname to Taylor? That way, he can pay bigger tribute to his dead friend by having Sean's name on the back of his jersey.
9:59 pm on October 30th, 2008
that's horrendous of the NFL. I usually side with Goodell on a lot of how he rules on things, but this just doesn't make sense.
10:15 pm on October 30th, 2008
Is the NFL in some kind of financial trouble we don't know about? Then why such ticky-tack fines?
10:30 pm on October 30th, 2008
The 21 eye black would be a golden ad opportunity for a gambling site like Golden Palace. Call it 21 Eye Blackjack.
1:45 pm on October 31st, 2008
This is total B.S.
11:29 am on November 3rd, 2008
teeeny tiny minds…and I'm just so sure that they are going to donate that $ to a good cause. At least that's what I think they should do with "fine" money
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R. I .P.
S E A N T A Y L O R
9:17 am on November 6th, 2008
The no fun league has a website: www.uniformviolation.com