Chris Berman, Trent Dilfer, And The NFL Love Jon Bostic's Illegal Hit

BERMAN-BOSTIC

This is from the third quarter of Chargers-Bears last Thursday. Chargers quarterback Charlie Whitehurst throws a wide receiver screen toward Mike Willie, but Bears linebacker Jon Bostic, a second-round draft pick, separates Willie from the ball just as the ball gets there.

Right away, we're subjected to a full-on Chris Bergasm, with all the usual accompanying fart sounds and some barking about "what a nail!" it was. The replay rolls, revealing that Bostic led with the crown of his helmet. Trent Dilfer chimes in to tell us Bostic's "gonna square you up, form tackle you, and make you remember." NFL.com gets in on the act, too, posting the clip within minutes. The headline? According to the still-existing URL, it originally read, "Bostic's spectacular tackle forces incompletion."

But football in the era of Goodell is inscrutable. Who knows what's legal anymore? Today, the NFL told Jon Bostic it was fining him $21,000 for this play.

h/t to Orlando B.