NFL Fine Blotter Week 5 Part I: And the (Illegal) Hits Just Keep Coming...

Here we go for week 5's charity donations:

• Baltimore Ravens get two: Ray Rice got $7,500 for an illegal stiff-arm as he was being horse-collared. Rice, while stiff-arming the tackler, jabbed his helmet upward. How offsetting penalties were not called in this, I have no idea.
• and Matt Birk got $5,000 for not abiding by the league's rules by wearing a microphone (probably when he was supposed to be mic'ed up and refused)
• Two San Diego Charger linemen got the same fine: Nick Hardwick and Scott Mruczkowski got $5,000 fines for microphone CBA violations.
  
• New York Giants: Kenny Phillips fined $20,000 for a personal foul against the Seahawks. This is a SECOND OFFENSE FINE -- he got fined in week 1 as well.
  
• Detroit Lions get two for uniform violations with their socks: Nate Burleson was fined $5,000 and Eric Wright was fined some amount (I assume the same) for not wearing approved socks. This sounds ridiculous, but when you basically have contracts for every part of the uniform from the jockstrap to the helmet...
• New Orleans Saints: Rolan Harper fined $15,000 for starting a fracas with Carolina's Steve Smith after a touchdown. One has to wonder how both players were not tossed out of the game!
• Chicago Bears: SECOND OFFENSE FINE for Brandon Meriweather -- IN CONSECUTIVE WEEKS, MR. GOODELL!!! -- $25,000 for LAUNCHING HIMSELF HEAD-FIRST AFTER THE PLAY WAS OVER. How in the HELL that is not an ejection and a suspension, I have no foreseeable clue. At least the Bears have had enough: the shithead has been benched!
  
• and a second one for the Bears: Charles Tillman: $7,500 for a horse-collar.
  
• Buffalo Bills: Danny Batten, $15,000 for nailing Michael Vick in the head and neck. (You know, there'd have been a day and age I'd have paid that fine, but the fact is that this is getting ridiculous.

We're up to $115,000 this week, and there will be still more....