Polamalu steps up to Goodell; says he has too much power after latest fine of Harrison

The quiet one has spoken.

Troy Polamalu plays like a player with reckless abandon each and every week, and is speaking up about the latest fine of his teammate – James Harrison. The Steelers LB was hit with his third fine, this time for $20,000 for a hit on Drew Brees in the Steelers 20-10 loss to the Saints Sunday night.

Polamalu’s take is that the guy in the end handing down the fines – Commish Roger Goodell, has a little too much power and needs to take a step back and not be so quick to handing down fines.

“It’s football, you know. If people want to watch soccer then they can watch soccer,” Polamalu said to the Post-Gazette. “But, honestly, overseas when people are attracted to this game, they’re going to see the big hits, they’re not going to care about touchdowns and different things. So you’re also taking apart what attracts people to this game.”

No kidding. With the fines and week after week examining of players hitting hard, the league is starting to play more and more “Big Brother” on players instead of doing the thing they do best – play.

Polamalu said to the paper he would have loved to have sat down and talked to Goodell, just like Harrison did when he was hit with the fine.

“Sometimes I think it just falls on deaf ears,” Polamalu said. “I think a lot of players have said a lot of things and I guarantee you he heard everything everybody said. But, you know, he’s got all the power; that may be part of the problem, that there needs to be some type of separation of power like our government. There should be some type of players involved in decisions over how much people should be fined or what they should be fined for, as well as coaches, as well as front office people.

“I don’t think it should be just totally based on what two or three people may say who are totally away from the game. I think it should be some of the players who are currently playing.”

No one has to wonder if Polamalu is going to get fined, or if the commish is finally going to listen.