NFL Fines Official One Game Check For Nick Barnett Takedown

Filed under: Packers, NFC North, NFL Fans, Breaking News, ESPN

Warren Sapp might disagree, but there is justice for the NFL player. Last Sunday, umpire Jim Quirk “Roy Williams-ed” Packers linebacker Nick Barnett to the ground in an effort to avoid a fracas. Barnett didn’t take kindly to Quirk’s modified half nelson and subsequently filed a grievance with the league.

Two days ago, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that “… Quirk had been told he went ‘over the line’ in restraining Barnett.” And now Commissar Goodell has handed down his ruling:

The NFL has fined official Jim Quirk a game check — $8,150 — for inappropriate contact with Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett on Sunday.

Quirk was summoned to NFL offices Friday to meet with commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL senior vice president of football operations Ray Anderson. In determining the penalty, the league took into account previous incidents, including Quirk’s contact Dec. 16 with Atlanta Falcons fullback Jason Snelling on a kickoff return.

See, NFL officials don’t have carte blanche to do as they please; there are consequences for their actions. But does anybody see the discrepancy in fining players $10,000 and $15,000 for cheap shots, and fining an official $8,150? You think taking 1/100 of some guy’s salary is as big a deterrent as 1/16? No, me neither.

By the way, say what you want about the state of officiating, but is there a better paying (legal) part-time job? Assuming officials work 16 weeks during the regular season, at $8,150 a pop, they’re hauling in roughly $130,000 a year (and you have to think referees make more than that). In addition to their full-time gigs in the real world. Not too shabby.

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