Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan wants to be known as the dirtiest player in the league, but he doesn’t want to pay the price.
More specifically, he doesn’t want to pay the fine.
Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean reports that Finnegan has been fined $5,000 for his role in a brawl that broke out early in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers. But Finnegan, per Wyatt, plans to appeal.
The fight happened when Steelers receiver Hines Ward tried to tackle Titans defensive end Jason Babin after Babin scooped up what turned out to be an incomplete pass. Babin jammed the ball into Ward’s helmet. Then Finnegan got involved, grabbing Ward by the facemask. Ward also grabbed Finnegan’s facemask and they ended up on the ground and other players got involved.
Tony Brown of the Titans and Chris Kemoeatu of the Steelers were penalized, but many others should have been flagged and/or fined, too. A couple of players arguably should have been ejected.
“I’ve only got one [fine] so far, so that’s good,’' Finnegan said. “But I’m not happy about it. I am going to appeal that for sure. They better have gotten [Ward], and better have gotten more than just me and him, too. Some of that stuff I don’t get. It’s a putt-putt league now, you can’t do nothing.’'
Especially not if you want to be the dirtiest played in the league.