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Bernard Pollard thinks fines are “killing the game”

Arizona Cardinals v Baltimore Ravens

BALTIMORE - OCTOBER 30: Rob Housler #84 of the Arizona Cardinals runs the ball against Bernard Pollard #31of the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 30. 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens defeated the Cardinals 30-27. (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images)

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Ravens safety Bernard Pollard drew a highly questionable flag for unnecessary roughness against the Jaguars last week, which was followed by a highly questionable $10,000 fine. Now Pollard is speaking out against the way the league office handled his and other penalties.

Oh yeah, it’s most definitely killing the game,” Pollard said on KILT in Houston, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. “This is a game where it’s a car crash; this is a game where guys are putting it on the line; this is a game where coaches are trying to out-strategize other coaches across the field, and it takes 11 guys to get it done. So you’ve got 22 guys running around, they’re fit guys, and they’re running around hitting each other with helmets on. There’s no way you’re going to tell me be careful by doing that.”

Pollard also suggested that if officials get calls wrong, they should be fined.

“They need to be fined as well,” Pollard said. “I don’t know how much they’re paid, but it needs to be applied to them.”

And Pollard said what we’ve heard a lot of players say about getting fined: He’s not allowing it to affect the way he plays.

“I was pissed off,” Pollard said of his reaction to the penalty. “But like I told them, I would go out and do it again.”