Posted 4:56 PM by Gene

More advertiser, er, condoned AAAAAAAAAAAATTITUUUUUUUUUUUUDE:

Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor was fined $17,000 Monday by the NFL for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman.

Taylor was ejected and penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for spitting at Pittman in the third quarter of Saturday's playoff game. The offense was considered so egregious that Pittman wasn't penalized for slapping Taylor in the helmet in retaliation....

"He said he didn't do it, so I don't think he did it," cornerback Shawn Springs said.

Taylor has been fined several times in his two-year career for a bevy of infractions, including $25,000 for skipping the league's mandatory rookie symposium. He has several in-season fines for illegal hits and uniform violations, including $5,000 for wearing striped socks that resembled a barber pole in this year's home game against Philadelphia.

He was investigated by the league last season for allegedly spitting at Cincinnati receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, but no fine was levied because there was no video evidence.

Taylor also had a drunken driving charge last season that was later dismissed. He is scheduled to go on trial next week in Miami on a felony charge of aggravated assault stemming from a June 1 confrontation near his home, although he is expected to request a postponement because of the Redskins' playoff run.

In the words of the immortal Red Skelton, he dood it.

And yes, I can hear every last vice-president of advertising at a big consumer-products firm whispering, "Way to go, guys! This solidifies us among the 18-34s!"

P. S. And in other news of the criminal-justice system, Marcus Vick proves he is a piece of work.