OK, so this week alone, the NFL has fined nine players, including two Patriots, for playing football. To the tune of $100,000. Are you serious, Roger Goodell? You fined Myron Pryor for cutting Brett Favre’s chin on a LEGAL HIT? He hit him IN THE CHEST, IN TIME. And Gary Guyton’s late hit on Favre I guess could be justified, but just because the NFL pities Brett Favre and feels they need to punish anyone that damages their golden boy, doesn’t make it right to fine a guy who did nothing wrong. It’s football; just like in all professional sports, injuries happen. DEAL WITH IT.

My conspiracy theory, which is completely baseless and anecdotal, is that the NFL is trying to stockpile a little bit of cash to survive the harsh winter that will be the 2011 NFL Lockout. Goodell makes up some BS about illegal hits, and rules unilaterally about what constitutes an illegal hit. Draw blood? $7,500. Late hit? $15,000. And god forbid you do it again and get fined $25,000. Look, guys make mistakes. That’s why there’s penalties. If you screw up, you cost your team 15 yards. Maybe the game (in the case Dan Ryan’s end-zone hold against UNC last year…ugh). Don’t fine people for something they did on the job. How would you feel if, while working in an office, you missed a deadline. Your boss should fine you a couple hundred bucks? No, he scolds you and you submit the thing a day late. And you move on. These things aren’t black and white. You don’t sweat the little things.

…Unless you have an ulterior motive in doing so.

What do you think? Should the NFL fine the marginal hits, or let them slide unless the player is a repeat offender?