Titans linebacker Will Witherspoon fined $40,000 for hit on Donovan McNabb
Will Witherspoon, the Tennessee Titans' linebacker, was fined $40,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Washington Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb in the Redskins' overtime victory Sunday.
"I'll admit, when you look at it on tape the crown of my helmet hit the bottom of his chin," Witherspoon said, according to The Tennessean. "But not $40,000 worth. I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'
"Not when guys are body-slamming quarterbacks t the ground and getting $25,000. Last weekend, [Oakland's] Richard Seymour slammed [Pittsburgh quarterback Ben] Roethlisberger to the ground and he got $25,000. [Titans QB] Vince [Young] gets slammed to the ground earlier this year by Pittsburgh and that was $5,000. And mine is $40,000? That is what is disturbing. I can understand the fine, but there is no understanding to me the amount."
The hit, which drew a flag, came in overtime.
"The only thing I could've done different is lower my shoulder into his chest and driven him to the ground basically. I put my hands up to slow myself down, tried not to make serious contact with him. I just don't get it."
By
Cindy Boren
| November 25, 2010; 4:04 PM ET
Categories:
NFL, Redskins
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Will would wither under cross-examination, it this were a court case.
He should watch the tape again, with me. I'm sure I would gasp and cringe again, when I saw his brutal beat down.
A fan of The Skins, and not a fan of concussion-causing head-to-head contact.
Posted by: jimh4 | November 25, 2010 5:25 PM | Report abuse
40K? Witherspoon spent that on after party bling.
Posted by: HillmanDC | November 25, 2010 8:57 PM | Report abuse
Should have been $5000 at most.
Posted by: thorhero | November 26, 2010 7:46 AM | Report abuse
how about you just say yeah it was a dirty hit you a$$clown!
Posted by: heatseeker690069 | November 26, 2010 10:03 AM | Report abuse
The NFL is becoming a sissified, effete JOKE!!!! I'm a Skins fan... the play helped us win... but fining the guy? This is a rule straight out of a San Francisco bath house...
Posted by: Capitalist-1 | November 26, 2010 12:27 PM | Report abuse
It was a planned play from the snap of the ball. All you had to do was look at the REFEREE behind McNabb back-pedaling very-very fast, cause he knew what was coming. And replay gave the sorriest little bit of what happened as they could. He lowered his helmet dead missle straight and launched himself for the spot just below the chin-strap. McNabb wasn't the right kind of QB for replay to show what was intendedly done.
Posted by: CTaylor42 | November 26, 2010 4:44 PM | Report abuse
how much is a fine based on a players income?
40K for a guy making 8 mil a year. Okay.
For a guy making the vet minimum thats a major hit.
Posted by: alex35332 | November 27, 2010 9:01 PM | Report abuse
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