Zac Boyer will be entering his third season covering the Washington Redskins for The Free Lance-Star this fall. Make sure to follow Zac on Twitter (@ZacBoyer) for the latest updates or e-mail him with any questions at zboyer@freelancestar.com.
DeAngelo Hall Declines Comment After Being Fined By League For Outburst
By ZAC BOYER
ASHBURN – DeAngelo Hall twice declined to comment on the $30,000 fine he was issued by the NFL late Wednesday night for his outburst toward an official on Oct. 28.
Hall
Hall was reprimanded by the league for his actions late in the Washington Redskins’ 27-12 loss at Pittsburgh, which included the removal of his helmet and a verbal tirade launched at side judge Dana McKenzie.
The cornerback was ejected from the game with 3:43 remaining, though a lengthy review of the incident delayed any decision on potential repercussions until this week.
Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan said representatives from the league, including assistant director of operations Merton Hanks, visited Redskins Park to interview players about the incident.
Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations and the chief disciplinarian, reprimanded Hall in a letter that accompanied his official notification of the fine.
“Your abuses in the October 28 game were captured on tape and witnessed up-close and repeatedly on national television,” Anderson wrote in the letter, which was publicly released by the NFL on Thursday. “It was bad enough that you were vulgar with the officials, but it was particularly disturbing that after the first encounter with the officials, instead of separating, you repeatedly went back towards the officials to continue your tirade.”
The letter to Hall also included a warning that any future flare-ups will carry the risk of an increased fine or the potential of a suspension.
Hall originally objected to a physical block by Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who wrestled the cornerback to the grass on a running play late in the game. Hall, upset that a flag was not thrown, approached McKenzie shortly after the play and began arguing with him before being held back by teammates and other officials.
Shanahan said it was unclear whether Hall, who is scheduled to make a base salary of $6 million this year as part of a six-year, $55 million contract he signed in 2009, would appeal the fine.
That the NFL took the time to investigate the events of the incident was rare, the head coach said.
“Like I said, I thought D-Hall did everything that we asked the guy to do,” Shanahan said. “I thought there could have been a number of fines that occurred from the receiver. Obviously, he was not penalized, but when he did take his helmet off, that’s what he was fined for. You can’t do those things. You have to keep your poise, even in a situation that is pretty tough to do. That’s why he was fined. He hasn’t had a lot of situations like that. That’s one he’ll learn from. Hopefully he can go on and he won’t make any mistakes.”
