In Week 12, Carter Coughlin, a linebacker for the New York Giants, dropped a bomb on Ty Montgomery, the return man for the New England Patriots.
Carter’s textbook tackle, which caused his teammates to celebrate, completely lit up Montgomery. The Giants’ social media and video teams took notice of it as well, complimenting the 26-year-old on his hit-stick tackle.
The officials called the hit correctly; Coughlin was not flagged for it. The NFL, however, didn’t agree, and Coughlin received a small FedEx package from the league office containing a $5,764 fine for needless roughness.
Alright, then.
When asked about the fine on Friday, special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey couldn’t contain his laughter because it was so outrageous. Coughlin has appealed the fine.
When asked if he had an explanation for the fine, McGaughey laughed and said, “No.” “After all, everyone has seen the tape. As they say, it is what it is. That’s just the way things are. It’s incredible.
McGaughey laughed more for the sake of aggravation than for comic effect. Coughlin did not do anything wrong at all, and the fine is just another instance of the NFL overreaching.
How then can the Giants steer clear of this problem going forward? Must McGaughey instruct his players to stay away from that kind of contact?
“That’s a slippery slope we go down. I mean — it’s a slippery slope,” McGaughey said. “You look at the tape, looks like it’s a textbook tackle, guy gets fined, it’s a slippery slope.”
It’s a joke, not just a slippery slope. With some of these fines, the NFL is embarrassing itself, and Coughlin’s may be the most absurd one yet.
Leave a Reply