Football - Steelers Fine Rooney

Dan Rooney, owner Pittsburgh Steelers, has been fined $25,000 by the NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for criticizing game officials after the Steelers' overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons on last Sunday. This event took place just three months after Rooney helped shepherd to run into office.

The fine of $25,000 has been decided after Rooney made bitter critics clearly targeting referee Ron Winter's crew. For the Steelers' chairman Ron Winter made several errors on several calls, which impacted on the game of his team. For instance, Rooney criticized the referee for having flagged a false-start on Washington preventing the Steelers from trying a potential game-winning field goal in regulation. By the rule a false start required a 10-second run-off on the game clock. Rooney also raised heavy criticisms at the officials for a tripping call against kicker Jeff Reed on a return by the Falcons' Allen Rossum late during the second quarter. Eventually in order to let the NFL to know his sentiments, Rooney even handed Goodell a copy of the Post-Gazette, highlighting his quotes, at a league meeting in New Orleans.

The fine of Rooney was announced on the same day league officials decided that Falcons defensive end Chauncey Davis would not be fined after reviewing the videotape of every game. Davis had a helmet collision on the Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. As result of the collision, Roethlisberger suffered a concussion on the play and missed one day of practice this week. However the quarterback will be on the starting roster on Sunday against Oakland. At the same time three Steelers player have been fined by the NFL on Thursday. Wide receivers Hines Ward, Nate Washington and Santonio Holmes have been fined $5,000 each for an excessive celebration in the game.

Rooney is an influential franchise owner played and significantly helped Goodell to be selected as the successor to retired commissioner Paul Tagliabue. During the balloting votes, Rooney also made a speech in which he championed the candidacy of the longtime NFL executive.