Getty ImagesThe bar has now been set for Bill Belichick.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Broncos coach John Fox was fined $30,000 and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio $25,000 for berating officials last Monday night in Atlanta.
Their actions prompted a memo that was sent to coaches last week, reminding them to mind their manners with the replacement refs.
It didn’t take, apparently.
Between Patriots boss Bill Belichick laying hands on one last night, or Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan chasing them down the hall to get his words in, the abuse didn’t really seem to subside.
While Belichick had a one-word answer — “No” — when asked if he thought he’d be fined, it’s hard to see how he avoids it now.
And it’s hard to imagine it would be anything less than the donation Fox just made.
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The only way I’m supporting these fines is if it’s going into the pension fund to bring the REAL refs back. Otherwise, the fines are a bigger joke than those the coaches’ actions were directed at.
I still don’t understand how Denver comes up from the pile with the ball and Atlanta gets the football before the refs even clear the pile. The Ravens fans chanting last night had it right. Pay the REAL refs.
The fine on William should be substantially more than these two, but it won’t be.
Goodell is tight with Kraft, especially after he torched the SpyGate evidence. Rog will let it slide while making an example out of the others.
Wait and see…
The refs are punished for being clueless how much? Coaches who lose games lose jobs, what do you expect from them
So……using that as a benchmark, Belichick’s fine has to be 75k+ for actually making contact with an official.
Coaches should be concerned by their actions. If they are dis-respective towards officials (replacement) which are the choice of the commissioner to whom reports to owners, all they are doing is spitting in the face of their boss.
Geez that stings! Bill Belechick better be ready for games or game checks!
Calling it now, 100K
Putting hands on a man crosses the line, they are gonna want to send the message loud and clear on that.
What’s the saying our mom’s taught us?
“Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt you”
Belichick crosses that line.
GODell flexing his muscles on a situation he could he alleviate. I hope he puts that money towards the locked out refs, since the league apparently can’t afford to pay them.
The Refs need to come off the pension demand and the owners need to pay them more money…
Simple… Now can we get this done please…
I am a Pats fan and last night was excruciating to watch… honestly … I don’t blame BB , Fox, or Shanahan … As Parcel’s used to say … NFL stands for NOT FOR LONG, if ya don’t win and these guys feel the refs are truely affecting the outcome of their games…
It sucks!!
Yet the scabs will collect their checks with no penalty at all… Someone please explain to me why officials can’t be fined for bad calls. Why are they above discipline?
Well it does bring attention to the fact that kicks that go directly over the goalpost are always going to be a problem until a solution is devised.
Belicheat needs to be suspended for a minimum of 4 games. His actions were unacceptable.
How soon will it be before one or more current replacement Refs sue the league for creating and allowing a hostile work environment?
Berating, threatening, intimidating, and accosting are all forms of workplace harassment and abuse.
Given those benchmarks, I’m betting Belichick’s will be in the neighborhood of $60k-$80k, though it should probably be more.
Given those benchmarks, I’m betting Belichick’s will be in the neighborhood of $60k-$80k, though it should probably be more.
Who is going to fine the crew in the Tennessee-Detroit game which erred in giving Tenn. a generous spot of at least 12 yards in a penalty assessment in overtime that lead to a FG which cost the Lions the game?
The guy on the sidelines wearing the headset as well as the guy in the pressbox are not scabs and should know the rules.
Yet, continually there are botched calls that are not corrected.
If they knew the rules, how could Jim Harbaugh get a challenge when he did not have a time out remaining?
Should have been assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for challenging without a time out.
Instead, they accept his challenge; reverse their call on the field and then give him an additional time out he never had in the first place as a reward.
Brutal!!!!!!!!
If Belicheat is not suspended for at least a game this is a joke. You cant put your hands a ref, competent or not, and then yell and scream at them without major punishment.
Why do the officials have to run for the hills as soon as the game is over? Shouldn’t they at least give Belicheck an explanation of what the call was since it just cost him the game. I don’t think Belicheck was trying to abuse the ref, he was just trying to find out what he saw. That ref must have been running to hide under his bed after the way that game was called.
Instead of being bullied by the coaches into caving for the locked-out refs, what if Goodell decided to make his point to them (coaches) by further stalling talks between the league and the refs? Just because the replacement refs are stinkin’ it up, that doesn’t give the coaches the right to act the way they are towards them. They wouldn’t get away with this behaviour with the lock-outs and they shouldn’t get away with it with the replacements.
Now, the performance of the replacements is another story…
my personal take:
1)The “pro” refs are being absurd in their demands.
2) I miss them more and more each week.
I predict 1 game suspension. After being warned already, there is no excuse.
Harbaugh, Harbaugh, Shanny and Beli should all expect fines this week.
Strategy expert- red lasers atop the goal posts aimed straight up is THE DEFINITIVE solution. Let’s see how long it takes the NFL to come to that conclusion.
I loved that Belichick said “No” when asked if he thought he’d be fined. What was he supposed to say? “Sure. Send me a bill, Rog.”
I thought ALL scoring plays were subject to review. It wasn’t until several minutes later that Al Michaels informed the TV audience ruled good aren’t subject to review … even though they are scoring plays. Yet another example of the whimsy of NFL rules. Belichick had every right to wonder why the refs were running off the field without waiting for the review. And if that ref was even marginally competent, he’d have taken two seconds to EXPLAIN the replay rule to the opposing coach. Isn’t that part of their job? But I doubt he knew the rule.
I don’t think any of these coaches are abusing the refs. Frankly, I think everyone has shown tremendous restraint under the circumstances.
I think both belicheck and Harbaugh should get a little “time off”.
I thought the NFLs front office was out to protect the players with all the new rules but then they put sab refs that dont seem to know or have knowledge of the rules it’s almost like hiring Stevie Wonder as a substitute bus driver.Keeping until someone gets killed.If anyone should be fined it should be the tight wad owners
3 games in… this year seems to be a record setting one in fines
They should put the money to make up the gap between the league and the refs.
The longer this goes on the better the refs bargaining position looks.
If you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.
It is common policy in any sport at just about any level for the referees to immediately leave the field of play. Get over it. As someone who has been a referee or official for multiple sports at multiple levels I would like to share a credo that they all live by. “I may not be right, but I am never wrong” Does it suck? Yes. But learn to adjust to the rules.
Wait til the regular guys come back and see how many complaints there are about defensive pass interference and offensive holding that weren’t getting called before.
Kraft can pay Belicheck’s fine a la Spygate, but he can’t serve a suspension for him.