After suffering a hit that gave Troy Polamalu concussion like symptoms, the Pittsburgh Steeler was hit with a $10,000 fine. Polamalu sat on the bench and called his wife to let her know that he was OK, but due to a league rule which prohibits cellphones during NFL games, Polamalu he’ll have to pay a little extra for the call.
The league rule states:
“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.”
After he was cleared by the medical staff, Polamalu borrowed a phone from one of the trainers to call his wife.
Polamalu hasn’t commented on the fine yet, but coach Mike Tomlin said:
“He has had a history of concussion-like symptoms in the past. [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.”
According to the Post-Gazette, most NFL teams have designated personnel to inform family members during a time of emergency. Typically, a phone call will be made from the press box and not from the field.
Polamalu probably knew that he was going to get fined, but decided that the $10,000 was worth letting his wife know that he was OK.
Do you think there should be an exception to the rule in Troy Polamalu ‘s case? Should a player be able to tell his family that he’s OK after a hard hit?
