This makes sense: Baltimore reserve wide receiver Devard Darling was fined $7,500 for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty last Sunday. His crime? Leaping into the stands following teammate Yamon Figurs, who had just returned a punt for six. Now I understand rules is rules and all that crap, but $7,500? Really? When the league is fining guys five grand for throwing players on their head or grabbing facemasks, 7,500 clams is the going rate for ... leaping in the stands? Jeebus, that's not arbitrary. But it gets better:
"The league, they have their rules, and we have to abide by them," said Darling, who will lose 15 percent of his weekly paycheck to the league. "It was $7,500, man. I'm hurting right now. I won't be jumping into the stands anymore."Gotta love those regressive taxes. Fair and balanced, baby. If you need further proof of the haphazard nature of punishing these criminals, Darling's teammate, Demetrius Williams, was also assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty Sunday -- for spiking the ball after a reception. His fine? Bupkes. Brilliant.




