I know this sounds totally goofy but the NFL ought to consider experimenting with a "penalty box" type of situation instead of fines. Where if you get called for a really blatant illegal hit, you get put in an orange padded box and have to spend X amount of defensive snaps on the sideline before you are let back in.

The fines aren't working, because the players earn so much. And I have no hard proof but I really do believe that coaches or teams are covering for some of the fines, either under the table, or in other ways (signing bonus, workout bonus etc).

But if defensive players were forced to immediately come out the game for leading with the helmet or making cheap shot hits, I think it would reduce them considerably. Because then the coaches and fans would get mad at the players, instead of celebrating them, it would give the backup player some time to make his mark, which would harm a first-string player a lot more than a fine, and make him think twice about doing it again. Because these fines they get are basically what he spends at "the club" with his posse on a typical Saturday night.

It could be something like a 10 play ejection or something. But the fines are definitely NOT working the way Goodell intends them to work; like everything else he does, it blows up in his face.