San Diego Chargers DT Antonio Garay Fined $15,000

Antonio Garay, the San Diego Chargers Nose Tackle who is one of only several Bolts to have had a good game against the Patriots on Sunday, has been fined for breathing fire out of his nose too close to Tom Brady. Wait, no, that's not it.....here it is:

Antonio Garay, who makes just $640,000 this season and is a free agent after this year, was fined $15,000 for hitting Tom Brady below the knee. This seems odd, considering the picture of the hit (here it is) seems to show Garay making contact with Brady's knee or even an inch or two above it.

If you couldn't tell, this is my least favorite penalty/fine in football. Defensive linemen end up on the ground all of the time, as a result of their wars with offensive linemen, and if it happens on a passing play they're basically told that they cannot even get close to the Quarterback. If you were an offensive linemen, wouldn't you find a way to trip the defensive linemen a bunch if you knew that he wasn't allowed to touch the QB when he was on the ground?.

If Garay was making $50,000 a year and was levied with a similar fine, it would be less than $1,200. It's not the craziest fine the NFL has ever given out in terms of dollars, and Antonio might happily pay it because it will boost his reputation around the league as someone who hits hard and can get to Tom Brady. Still, it's a stupid rule and Tom Brady's response to the hit seemed to be nothing but whining.

Grow up, everyone. This is football.