Why Bengals fans have every right to be mad at the NFL
Cincinnati Bengals fans have every right to be mad at the NFL after hearing recent comments from Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald. If you've somehow already forgotten, Donald was front and center in a large brawl that broke out during a joint practice between the Bengals and Rams last month. The lasting image […]
Cincinnati Bengals fans have every right to be mad at the NFL after hearing recent comments from Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald.
If you've somehow already forgotten, Donald was front and center in a large brawl that broke out during a joint practice between the Bengals and Rams last month.
The lasting image from the brawl was Donald swinging a couple of Cincy helmets at Bengals players.
It was reminiscent of Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett swinging a helmet at Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph a couple of years ago. That incident cost Garrett six games due to suspension.
Donald, however, isn't facing discipline from the NFL because the incident happened during a practice. It was the same action as what Garrett did, but a vastly different outcome for Donald.
And the worst part is that Donald doesn't seem to have an ounce of regret. To him, it was just "football".
"It was just a practice. It was football," said Donald in an interview with the AP Pro Football Podcast. "I don't really want to go back to nothing negative that happened and talk about something that happened in a practice. My main focus is Buffalo."
The NFL could easily step in and try to suspend Donald for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. After all, if Donald would've swung a helmet at a Bengals player on the sidewalk outside of the facility, he would've been arrested for assault. Apparently, the practice field, in the NFL's eyes, is lawless.
Maybe Donald would appeal the suspension and win. That's fine. Whether or not he sits out a few games isn't really the point.
The point is the NFL can't allow something like this to happen and then just shrug their shoulders. Donald could've seriously injured a Bengals player all because of a silly practice squabble.
This feels like the NFL is saying "we don't care about you Cincinnati, we care about protecting the league's best defensive player".
I bet their tune would've changed if Tom Brady would've been in the middle of that brawl and had a helmet fly at his head.
No one blames Bengals fans for being angry over how this has (or hasn't) been handled.
Featured image via Albert Cesare / The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
