The NFL took a mulligan.
After fining Texas running back Joe Mixon $25,000 for something he didn’t say Regarding the officiating in Saturday’s playoff game against the Chiefs, the NFL re-enacted the fine with his words instead.
New beau disciplines Mixon for saying this: “Everyone knows how it goes here. You can never leave it in the hands of the referees. The whole world sees it, man.
That quote was not mentioned in the fine initial letter, which relied on the words not of Mixon but of former Bengals wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh. Houshmandzadeh’s line was: “Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with the Chiefs.” These officials are trash and prejudiced.
The relevant rule prohibits public criticism of officiating “because it calls into question the integrity and public confidence in our game.”
And, of course, by fining players and coaches, the NFL is shining a spotlight on the problem: There were in-game calls worthy of criticism. Like criticism voiced by ESPN’s Troy Aikman on a broadcast watched by more than 30 million people, after a late slide by Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes drew a foul for unnecessary roughness.
“Come on“, Aikman said. “He’s a runner, and I can’t disagree with that one anymore. He’s barely touched. This is the second penalty called against the Texans.
The NFL cannot fine Aikman (since he does not own part of a team). But they can, and probably did, complain about it to Aikman’s bosses.
Aikman’s words have now been replaced by the Keystone Cops’ efforts to take money out of Mixon’s pocket, first by fining him for something he didn’t say and now by fining him for the least controversial comment he actually made.
