Chargers fine Eric Weddle $10K for watching his daughter perform at halftime - SBNation.com

 

The San Diego Chargers fined safety Eric Weddle $10,000 for staying on the field at halftime during a Week 15 game against the Miami Dolphins so he could watch his daughter perform during a dance ceremony.

 

After not disclosing the fine for a week, Weddle's agent David Canter tweeted about the fine in an angry series of tweets directed at the Chargers. The team placed Weddle on injured reserve on Monday against the player's wishes, almost certainly ending his career with the team, and according to Canter, the Chargers aren't going to let Weddle travel with the team in Week 17.

 

Weddle is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2015 season and a return to play for the Chargers seems unlikely given the fractured nature of his relationship with the franchise. In the offseason he opted not to attend OTAs in an attempt to get a new contract from the team, but the Chargers announced that no contract negotiations would happen with the safety.

 

In Week 15, the last home game of the season for the Chargers, the team pulled Philip Rivers, Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd and allowed for a standing ovation from the fans, but Weddle's impending departure was largely ignored by the organization.

 

Weddle was among the Chargers players who treated that home game like it might be his last in that stadium, and stayed around to sign autographs for fans.

 

The Chargers finish the season with a road game against the Denver Broncos, but according to Canter, the team's reason for not bringing the safety along for the trip is that they couldn't fit him on the plane.

 

Weddle was selected by the Chargers in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft and has played in 137 games for the team. He earned Pro Bowl nods in 2011, 2013 and 2014.

Petty.

Didn't have room for him on the plane? Dumb.

$10,000 well spent!

He'd make a good Steeler for a couple of seasons.

Another reason not to like the Chargers

Wow. That's a shame right here. The Chargers are more petty than I am. That's saying something.

Maybe I am in the minority, but I have no issue with the fine for watching his kid at halftime. Weddle is under contract to first and foremost perform on Sundays. That includes going over halftime adjustments.

 

The other stuff seems excessive, but I am not sure of the details with Weddle's relationship with management.

I bet it was a two way street. He knew he was on his way out, they stunk anyway, and he'd rather watch his kid at this point, damn the consequences. That ticked the front office off, and the rest is at their discretion. It's been known he was likely out of SD anyway at season's end.

Just because of PR reasons, it seems like a dumb fine.

A 4-11 team taking a stand. Good job guys.

Do people believe players should be exempt from having to participate in discussions or adjustments at halftime? From an employer perspective, you have defined critical tasks. I would assume for an NFL player one of those is to provide your attention, skill, and focus to a 3.5 hour slot on Sundays. If you can't commit, participate, or complete said critical task, there has to be some kind of repercussion. Unless I am missing something about it all?

Do people believe players should be exempt from having to participate in discussions or adjustments at halftime? From an employer perspective, you have defined critical tasks. I would assume for an NFL player one of those is to provide your attention, skill, and focus to a 3.5 hour slot on Sundays. If you can't commit, participate, or complete said critical task, there has to be some kind of repercussion. Unless I am missing something about it all?

 

I'm not sure many people would have a problem with the fine if it wasn't so obviously connected to spiting Weddle over his hold-out this summer.

I'm not sure many people would have a problem with the fine if it wasn't so obviously connected to spiting Weddle over his hold-out this summer.

I honestly don't believe people are thinking about that. Just thinking we have greedy owners that shouldn't be punishing a player over family time.

 

But if that is the case, that doesn't change anything about the scenario.

Maybe I am in the minority, but I have no issue with the fine for watching his kid at halftime. Weddle is under contract to first and foremost perform on Sundays. That includes going over halftime adjustments.

 

The other stuff seems excessive, but I am not sure of the details with Weddle's relationship with management.

 

Do people believe players should be exempt from having to participate in discussions or adjustments at halftime? From an employer perspective, you have defined critical tasks. I would assume for an NFL player one of those is to provide your attention, skill, and focus to a 3.5 hour slot on Sundays. If you can't commit, participate, or complete said critical task, there has to be some kind of repercussion. Unless I am missing something about it all?

 

I thought it was pretty kind of the Chargers to only fine Weddle 10K and not a lot more.