Rules are rules. Especially in the National Football League.  Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was slapped with a $10,000 fine Friday by the NFL for making a cell phone call from the bench during last Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Read more after the jump.
It’s a clear-cut violation of league rules, but Polamalu – one of the league’s most recognizable stars – had a pretty good reason for bench dialing.
He borrowed the cell phone from a team trainer to let his wife know he was okay, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Polamalu had left the game with concussion-like symptoms and, because he has a history of concussions, wanted to make sure his wife knew he would be fine.
But the league’s rule are clear: “possession of cell phones, (personal digital assistants) or other electronic equipment in the bench area during a game is strictly prohibited by league policy beginning 90 minutes before kickoff through the end of the game.”
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin thinks the NFL should use a little common sense before handing down a fine in this case.
“He has had a history of concussion-like symptoms in the past,” Tomlin said in his weekly press conference the newspaper reported. Polamalu’s wife “was concerned. In this era of player safety, you would think that common sense would prevail in some of these things. It wasn’t a personal call. He wasn’t checking on his bank account.”
Polamalu had no comment on the fine when approached by the Post-Gazette after Friday’s practice. He passed a concussion test and will play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
