Pats Star Fined for Finger-Poking Incident AP Posted: 2008-01-05 00:14:16 http://sports.aol.com/nfl/story/_a/pats-star-fined-for-finger-poking/20080104204709990001 NEW YORK (Jan. 4) - New England Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork was fined $15,000 by the NFL on Friday for poking a finger inside the face mask of New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs last weekend. League spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed the fine, the third this season for New England's 2004 first-round draft pick. Wilfork was not penalized on the play, which came with less than a minute to play in the first half of the Patriots' 38-35 victory last Saturday as several players from both teams jostled after the whistle. After the game, Wilfork said it was an accident and that he did not make contact with Jacobs' eye. Wilfork paid a $12,500 penalty for a low, late hit on Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losman during a game on Sept. 23. The hit knocked Losman out of the game and caused him to miss two more games. Wilfork was also fined $5,000 for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 14. _______________________________________________________________ I guess the hits to his wallet isn't fazing him any. Thug.
Wilfork fined $15K for poking another player in the eye. Rolle fined $15K for complaining about an official calling him "boy" Seems fair[/sarcasm]
If he, as you stated, he was fined for "poking another player in the eye", the punishment should indeed have been worse, but he didn't. He was fined "for poking a finger inside the face mask" of Jacobs. Stupid move nevertheless. But there is a big difference between poking someone in the eye, and pointing at them.
That'd be like the NFL reducing Albert Haynesworth's punishment after his stomping incident last year, because his foot brushed off of the Cowboys' center's head, instead of hitting it squarely.... The intent is the same, and the punishment should not vary...
But it's not necessarily proven that he was trying to poke the player in the eye. It looked to be more of an instance of talking shit and getting up in his face than an attempt to actually poke him in the eye and injure the player. Stupid move either way, but more importantly...does the amount matter? Be it 75 or 15 grand he was punished and his kids will still be able to go to college.
I disagree. There is a big difference between pointing a gun at someone and shooting them. He was pointing at him, not going to take out his eye. Are you saying Wilfork's intent was to poke his eye?! That is insane. His intent was to point at him while trash talking. Again, it was a stupid & a bad move. No disagreement there, but his intent was not to take out his eye.
Eye poking happens all the time in piles in the NFL and other high level football leagues (the number one reason I wear a visor under my facemask; played one game without one, and ended up with gashes all around my left eye)... It's an intimidation tactic; just like squeezing a player's ribs during a tackle, pushing off a ballcarrier on the way up, fish-hooking a players lips, etc... It happens, and it appeared that Wilfork tried to pull it off where it was visible to the cameras...
I disagree. It's one thing in a pile, where many things happen, and another with 2 men standing face to face IMHO. I think he was pointing, not looking to jam his finger into the eye of Jacobs. I guess it's semantics at this point though as it is impossible for either of us to read Wilfork's mind. Again, a dumb move by Wilfork.
Oh neither of us has anyway to know for sure, but a poke in the eye seems, to me at least, a lot more possible an intent than... 'pointing at him from inside his own facemask'?.... Oh well, it's impossible to prove either way, but I still believe the fine should have been higher....
DW you said exactly one post ago that his intent was to point at him while trash talking. Now you're saying that no one can know what's goin on in his mind, since it was pointed out that "pointing a finger inside someone's facemask" is far from reasonable. Either way, not a real classy thing to do to settle a dispute. Oops, I mean, not characteristic of the Patriots organization.
His finger was in his facemask for about 3-4 seconds and Wilfork pushed his finger below his eye 2-3 times. An accident? Give me a fuckin' break just admit you were a dumbass for doing it.
Wilfork is one dirty mofo. That's the third time he's been fined for dirty plays, and I'm sure many more have been missed. He should've been suspended a game.
He doesn't have to put his fingers inside anyones mask to point at him. You are deluding yourself on this one. I think everyone has seen enough from Wilfork to know he's a dirty player - period. Argue against it all you want, but there has been enough evidence this season to know better.
Again, I couldn't disagree more. The Losman thing, he was pushed from behind. We can watch it in slo-mo and think he could think in slo-mo, but you can't. Over his whole career, he is not known for this. You can say your Judge/Jury routine lines 1,000 times over, but just because you say it doesn't make it fact.
