This happens all the time at the professional level...it's just a matter of saying a call was missed. I don't see what the big deal is. :confused: It's not as if the director called out the abilities of the calling official. Just a simple statement that this particular play was missed.

I hope he appeals. As someone who supports the rule and flags it more than most, I think this fine is BS.

The NFL's business is selling an exciting competition, and with 120 fps 1080i HD cameras on the field, every action can be scrutinized to the nth degree. The replay and review process has encouraged defenders to be even more aggressive about making the initial hit to break up a catch--there's little chance of the "catch-and-fumble" call. Slowing a play down to 1/5th the speed skews reality and is a horrible position to make a decision about intent, and that is where FINES should be based on--intent. The on-field penalty can be based purely on "what happened" (hence the recent rules changes that remove the determination of intent from deciding the outcome of most plays), but fines, actual financial actions against your own employees, should not be about an accident on the field of play, but rather what the player TRIED to do.
The NFL does a very good job of selling an exciting games, and the result is they have a very profitable business. Financial penalties for malicious and unsporting behavior is certainly justified. They should not financially penalize those who make an unavoidable mistake in a situation that the company put them into.

I have never heard of the league commenting to the media about a foul DURING THE GAME and could set a very dangerous precedent that could come back to haunt it.

Forgive me, but questioning a call during the contest, much less stating that it was wrong, is an amazingly stupid thing for any league to do, at any time, for any reason. Clarifying a rule, explaining possibilities seems like overkill, during the game, but actually criticizing the call is insane.

Exactly who are they trying to impress? for what purpose?

The fans. To keep them happy and paying the bills.
This is nothing more than the instant gratification the fan-base has come to expect. People tend to forget the NFL is first and foremost an entertainment business. And the very huge majority of those fans couldn't care less about the officials except when it comes to blaming them for some perceived wrong against their team. At least MP does come on with just about as much regularity explaining how the call was correct as he does it was missed.