On Thanksgiving, Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams was assessed a 15-yard penalty for throwing the ball into Bears defenseman Tyrique Stevenson’s face on the sideline. But after the NFL’s disciplinary office scrutinized the play, it was Stevenson, not Williams, who was fined.
Stevenson was fined $19,697, while Williams was not fined.
Why fine the player who brought the football in his face, and not the player who threw it? Because a closer look at the video shows that after Williams was pushed out of bounds, Stevenson, who was on the Bears’ sideline, stuck out his foot to trip Williams. Neither officials nor the CBS broadcast noticed it at the time, but Stevenson’s action caused Williams’ reaction.
Stevenson is lucky he didn’t receive a higher fine; Tripping a player outside the court is not only unsportsmanlike, but can also cause an injury. The league’s disciplinary office acknowledged that Stevenson, not Williams, was in the wrong.
