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The end of the week means we get a better idea of who has been fined for what, and we've got some interesting information. On the 49ers side of things, outside linebacker Aldon Smith has not been fined for his leg to Robert Griffin III's man-parts. Aldon was trying to get around an offensive lineman, and as RG3 passed the ball, Aldon kicked him in the junk:
I'm a little surprised we didn't see Aldon Smith face a fine for that hit. We can never know his true intent, but given the way the league errs on the side of safety, I'm a little surprised.
In other news that is rather disheartening, New Orleans Saints defensive end Akiem Hicks was not fined for his blow to the head of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. In case you missed the hit before, here's some video of it:
I'm confused how Ahmad Brooks is fined for this hit, and Hicks gets nothing for his hit. I realize there is a structure to fines based on how many one has accrued, so the specific dollar amount is not my issue. The issue is how one supposed blow to the head/neck area gets fined, and another blow to the head/neck area does not get fined.
Complaining about officiating goes back to the beginning of sports, and I understand that officials are human. That's fine. The issue I have with this is that somehow the league is missing this after the fact when they can consider the context. I understand in the speed of the game, plays are missed. It's lame, but it happens. But when the league has time to slow it down and see exactly what happened, how do they miss this one? I realize I'm a bit biased, so maybe I'm missing something. Anybody have any idea on this?
