The NFL is facing criticism after fining Texans running back Joe Mixon for comments he did not make following the Chiefs' victory in Saturday's playoff game. The fine was issued based on a quote attributed to Mixon, which appeared in a Sports Illustrated article.
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The quote — "Why play the game if every 50/50 call goes with Chiefs. These officials are trash and bias." — was actually from former Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, not Mixon, as relayed by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Mixon's actual post-game comments were more measured, stating, "Everybody know how it is playing up here. You can never leave it into the refs hands. The whole world see, man."
These comments, which did not include any criticism of the officiating or call the referees "trash," were ignored in the fine letter issued by the league. It appears the NFL made a serious error in punishing Mixon for something he never said.
Mixon's agent, Peter Schaffer, has vowed to Florio to appeal the fine and explore legal options to address the situation. Schaffer expressed his intent to "defend and appeal" the fine, calling the situation a mistake that could be rectified through legal action.
This misstep has drawn widespread criticism, with many arguing that the NFL should focus on addressing real issues like controversial officiating rather than penalizing players for false attributions.
The league's failure to properly investigate Mixon's comments before issuing a fine is being viewed as a significant mistake, especially in the context of the ongoing debate about the quality of officiating in the playoffs. Many are now calling for the NFL to rescind the fine and issue an apology to Mixon for the error, acknowledging the broader issues surrounding officiating rather than punishing a player unjustly.
