Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor and Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks were ejected from a preseason contest after throwing punches at one another. At least, that's how I would describe what took place after the fourth play of the game.
↵But if you're the NFL, whose public statements specialize in clunky, transparent euphemisms, you might say Taylor and Nicks were "unnecessarily striking [each other] in the head area." That's how the league summed up the event when it issued $10,000 fines to both players today.
↵Taylor has already apologized for the scuffle, so the issue should already be a speck in the rearview mirror.
But the real story here is how children can learn from these players, who are so often deemed our nation's most prominent role models. So kids -- please. Do not strike each other in the head area! Refrain from shoeing each other in the shin place! And for Pete's sake, don't even think about throwing hurt words into someone's ear hole!