Johnson won’t be fined for taunting injured Green
Travis Johnson’s taunting of Trent Green after Green sustained a serious concussion trying to block him earned the Houston Texans defensive tackle a 15-yard penalty and the ire of critics. But it won’t result in a fine by the NFL. Johnson was criticized by members of the Dolphins and in the media for the taunting penalty, in which he stood over the motionless Green and pointed, and for his post-game comments, in which he lambasted Green for what he perceived to be a cheap shot. But the NFL said Johnson was reacting to what he thought was a dirty play and would not face additional discipline.
Gee, what a shock, eh? Just as I’d suspected, one of the most classless acts in contemporary NFL history is going to go unpunished. If this doesn’t tell you what’s really important in the NFL, I don’t know what will. Score one for the Cowardly Lion….
Don’t get me wrong; I’m a Texans fan. I’m glad the team is 3-2. After five years of the most frustrating sort of expansion-team mediocrity, Houston’s NFL franchise is actually showing signs of life this season (and, even better, Carolina is now saddled with David Carr as their starting QB). No, they’re not a Super Bowl team- far from it. Nonetheless, no longer are the Texans the same collection of athletic flat-liners that have taken the field for the past five years.
Having said that, I still believe that Travis Johnson deserves a suspension AND a fine. No matter what happens, you simply do not stand over the inert, prostrate, clearly unconscious body of a vanquished opponent and engage in the sort of classless taunting Johnson did. That the NFL is willing to tolerate this sort of gladiatorial excess is something I find very disturbing. If Johnson had recognized his mistake and apologized immediately after the game, I could perhaps have passed off his outburst as immediate and emotional. The fact that he continued to go after Trent Green verbally after the game should serve as a clear indication that Johnson felt his actions were justified.
Not only has Johnson comported himself as a perfect DUMB@$$, the NFL has displayed a glaring lack of moral courage. The league’s decision to neither fine nor suspend Johnson only serves to confirm the understanding that this sort of crap sells tickets and souvenirs. Fans want the blood, the collisions, and the injuries; to them they’re a purely hypothetical part of the game, one they see but never have to feel. Men may cripple themselves for our entertainment, but that’s what puts butts in the seats, eh?
Who knows? Travis Johnson may be a perfect gentleman off the field, but he’s the perfect DUMB@$$ on it. No one is accusing him of deliberately trying to end Trent Green’s career, but he displayed a complete and utter lack of anything resembling class while he was dancing over Green’s inert and clearly unconscious body.
Then again, Johnson’s actions did raise an intriguing question for Miami Dolphin fans: Who in the Hell is Cleo Lemon?
