The NFL has fined Shaun Ellis $10,000 for snowball throwing on Sunday.
Several fans threw snowballs at New York players and staff as they walked off the field after the Seahawks' 13-3 victory. As he approached the walkway leading to the locker room, Ellis reached into a pile of snow, picked up a large chunk and tossed it into the stands at Qwest Field, appearing to hit at least a few fans. No one was believed to have been injured.
Ellis said Tuesday that he wasn't angry at the time, and there was no malicious intent on his part.
"It was all in fun," he said.
Video of the incident originated on YouTube after a fan captured it on film and posted it on the site. As of early Tuesday afternoon, the 53-second clip had been viewed nearly 340,000 times. Several other Web sites have also posted links to the video.
"It was kind of like a little battlefield out there, so to speak," Ellis said. "I mean, it was just all in fun, going to the locker room."
The league has spoken clearly. Players are sitting targets, and fans can do whatever they want to them without fear of retribution. This was not instigated by Ellis. He retaliated with equal force. There will be no effort by the NFL to track down the offending fans and take tickets from them. This is a total double standard.
Unfortunately an incident like this will only hurt Ellis when the league reviews how to handle his drug arrest.