Fisher: Smith fined for horse-collar play

[Irving Cowboy]

Offensive tackle fined for horse-collar play
Mike Fisher
September 11, 2012

IRVING – It is, in a sense, the best $15,750 that Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyron Smith will ever spend. Sources tell 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, the NFL has ordered the 21-year-old budding standout to pay for his horse-collar of the Giants' Michael Boley – part of a game-turning tackle of Boley following his interception. Smith's tackle was followed by his defensive teammates' goal-line stand, a highlight of Dallas' 24-17 win at New York.

"It was a really big play in the game," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said last week. "As coaches, we always try to emphasize the ball, and the importance of the ball. ...One of the things we talk about is when there is a turnover, going to get the ball back, going to make the tackle if there is an interception or the other team is running with the football. You can preach that until you're blue in the face, but until that situation happens in the game, it's hard to know if guys are going to respond the right way."

Smith responded the right way and his horsecollar was an accident. But the league is apparently not taking that into consideration, as the $15,750 is larger than the "standard" $7,500 and just shy of the apparent maximum fine amount of $21,000.

Garrett credited Smith effort as being a turning point, noting his lineman's "hustle, his determination, his will." It was, essentially, a "four-point play" – and now a $15,750 one as well.

 

[cmd34]

Fine breakdown:
$7500 standard horse-collar fine
$4000 Cowboys booster
$4000 against Giants violation
$250 tip for Goodell, authorized by his boss Mora

 

[Jon88]

"It was a really big play in the game," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said

Translation: We're picking up the tab. Go f yourself Gooddell.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Fine breakdown:
$7500 standard horse-collar fine
$4000 Cowboys booster
$4000 against Giants violation
$250 tip for Goodell, authorized by his boss Mora

You can even break the Cowboys' booster and violation against the Giants even fruther:

$2000 Cowboys booster
$2000 because Cowboys had the audacity to beat the Giants on the national stage for their Super Bowl banner raising ceremony

$2000 violation against the Giants
$2000 beating the Giants (a further violation)

 

[bkeavs]

Fine breakdown:
$7500 standard horse-collar fine
$4000 Cowboys booster
$4000 against Giants violation
$250 tip for Goodell, authorized by his boss Mora

lol

 

[superpunk]

Doesn't matter, won game.

 

[peplaw06]

Fine breakdown:
$7500 standard horse-collar fine
$4000 Cowboys booster
$4000 against Giants violation
$250 tip for Goodell, authorized by his boss Mora

lol

You can even break the Cowboys' booster and violation against the Giants even fruther:

$2000 Cowboys booster
$2000 because Cowboys had the audacity to beat the Giants on the national stage for their Super Bowl banner raising ceremony

$2000 violation against the Giants
$2000 beating the Giants (a further violation)

not so much lol

 

[ZeroClub]

$15,750 seems pretty harsh to me.

The guy is an OT. How often does he practice appropriate tackling technique. (Well, besides holding.)

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Cowboys LT Tyron Smith will appeal fine, but won’t appeal to teammates to help him pay
By David Moore / Reporter
3:46 pm on September 12, 2012

Tyron Smith’s horse-collar tackle in the opener saved a touchdown.

But it cost him $15,750.

That is the fine the Cowboys left tackle received for the play that kept NY Giants linebacker Michael Boley out of the end zone.

“I was expecting it, but I didn’t know it would be that high,” Smith said.

While Smith’s agent has advised him to appeal the fine, he won’t appeal to his teammates to help him play. The Cowboys defense executed a goal line stand after Smith’s tackle that forced the Giants to settle for a field goal.

“It’s all on me,” Smith said. “I’m not going to ask.

“It’s a way to help my team out. if you care about the money that much, you’re playing for the money. I’m playing because I want to.”

Still, wouldn’t it be nice for some of the defensive players to get together and chip in?

“I’m just going to thank him and go on,” linebacker Anthony Spencer said. “I don’t think he’s going to donate to my fine if I get any hits to the quarterback.

“Pat him on the back. Good job, good hustle and move on.”

 

[Irving Cowboy]

Why Each Dallas Cowboys Player Should Owe Tyron Smith $302.89
by Brad Gagnon

Last month, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano said in a radio interview that he actually wants to see his team take penalties in certain situations and doesn't want to see them rank last in the league in that category.

And that makes some sense, because not all penalties are created equal. Most are painful and frustrating for the culprits and their peers, but some are necessary and even beneficial.

That was the case in the Dallas Cowboys' season-opening victory over the New York Giants, when Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith saved a pick six by hustling down the field to take Michael Boley down with a horse-collar tackle before Boley got into the end zone.

From his angle, Smith had no choice, and this screen shot of the moment reveals that Boley was very likely to score if not for the illegal tackle.

From there, the Dallas defense pitched a goal-line stand, limiting New York to a field goal and retaining the momentum.

Head coach Jason Garrett commented on the play Monday (via ESPNDallas.com):

"It's a difference-making play in the ball game, to force an offense to say, 'OK, you don't have a touchdown; you've got to score from the 2-yard line.'

"Our guys stepped up. I thought our run defense was outstanding. We knocked them back on the first play, knocked them back on the next play, forced them into a passing situation, and defended well on third down to hold them to a field goal. None of that happens if Tyron doesn't make that play. So his hustle, his determination, his will, did a great job of carrying over the practice emphasis to the game."

It was probably a game-changing penalty. And now, it's a game-changing fine, too.

The league is docking Smith $15,750 for the dirty play, according to ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins.

So let's do the math. Smith has 52 teammates and the fine was for $15,750. That means that if every other Cowboy were to fork over $302.89, Smith would be left with 28 extra cents to spend on penny candy.

I'd say that's more than fair.

Of course, for tax and legal purposes, they'd have to be a little sly about it. Maybe that's why Smith said today (via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News) that, while he is appealing the fine to the league, he won't be appealing to his teammates to pay up in support. In other words, he'll be taking $15,751 for the team.

"It's all on me," Smith said. "I'm not going to ask. It's a way to help my team out. if you care about the money that much, you're playing for the money. I'm playing because I want to."

Maybe someone's familiar with Stephen Covey's emotional bank account philosophy.

 

[Mr X]

“I’m just going to thank him and go on,” linebacker Anthony Spencer said. “I don’t think he’s going to donate to my fine if I get any hits to the quarterback.

He would have to get near the QB to get a hit on him.