The NFL is making it up as they go along with this nonsense over tackling a quarterback. There is no chance — and I'll say this in honor of the late, great Jerry Seeman — that NFL officials at training camps showed a tape of past tackles identical to those made by Clay Matthews and Eric Kendricks and said:
"This is illegal. If you a tackle a quarterback in this manner, your team will be penalized 15 yards and then we will steal $20,054 from your next paycheck — or more, if Roger Goodell's lackeys feel the urge.''
This mad rush to fine players is all part of a bigger plan — to make neutral arbitration a major issue for the players in the next negotiation, and thus a distraction for a union that should be devoted to getting more guaranteed money in contracts and to reclaim the 7 percent of revenue owners extracted from the players the last time around.
The NFL, the true Evil Empire of sports, is always conniving in some way to rob the players and make fools of its massive audience.
PATRICK REUSSE
