I think people are letting their hatred of BB obscure the fact that this was a pretty lousy precedent to set for other players in the league. $25K + no suspension is a pretty lightweight penalty for potentially taking a player out after the whistle. And it makes the league appear that much more disorganized and arbitrary in its efforts to curb unnecessary violence.
For those applauding Seymour for acting as some sort of avenging angel dishing out karmic justice: it's one thing to be happy a guy you hate is on the receiving end, but it's quite another to applaud Seymour himself for it, since I assure you Seymour the player wasn't thinking about "avenging women" or "dishing out justice" when he popped off. He's just a guy who completely lost it on the field. Nothing more. That sort of thing shouldn't be rewarded.
For those saying Harrison's hit was more violent and therefore deserving of a higher fine, I guess I can respect that opinion but I think it misses a key point: Harrison's hit was a football play between the whistles, whereas Seymour's was an objectively cheap shot *after* the whistle.
For those saying Roethlisberger deserved it for provoking him by saying something, should KG have been punched in the face for trash-talking Villaneuva? Should Philip Rivers get punched in the face for his schtick? Does every bit of trash talk in every game give a green light to players to sucker punch the trash talker?
Finally, I don't understand why people are so sure that Roethlisberger actually said something, when Seymour himself has said he doesn't know if Roethlisberger said anything. Regardless of your opinions of what's happened with BB off the field, on the field his M.O. he has never been known as a trash talker (he is a far cry from, say, Rivers).
Both Chris K (Steelers) and Quintin Groves (Raiders) said Ben didn't do any talking, and he was just caught in the crossfire that had been going on between Kemo and Seymour all game. Groves said BB was trying to step between the two to break it up. If anything, it sounds like if something was said it was by Kemo, and Seymour just lit up the wrong guy.
"All the offensive linemen, as well as some of us, were getting chippy because they were chipping after the whistle," Oakland linebacker Quentin Groves said. "As Ben goes and tries and break the fight up, Richard reacts. That's just a reaction that a fighter has, and that's what he is, a fighter. To react like that is just a basic combination."
Oakland defensive lineman Richard Seymour fined $25K for striking Roethlisberger - NFL - SI.com
Seymour said he was confused by Roethlisberger approaching him after the score.
"I'm not sure why he [Roethlisberger] ran up on me. I just turned around and it was a natural reaction," Seymour told media after the 35-3 loss.
Seymour said he doesn't remember Roethlisberger saying anything to him and Roethlisberger said afterwards he was stunned by Seymour's actions.
Oakland Raiders DE Richard Seymour ejected for striking Ben Roethlisberger - ESPN
Kemoeatu said what happened earlier in the game led to what happened on that particular play.
"When it's physical like that, sometimes you exchange words," Kemoeatu said. "(Seymour) said something, I said something. You start doing last minute shoving after the whistle and it gets bad from there. I think it just exploded."
That particular play started with Seymour bull-rushing Kemoeatu.
"I grabbed him and threw him down and he was trying to twist my ankle," Kemoeatu said. "I kind of exchanged words with him. He got up and I think Ben was the one right there. He just overreacted in the heat of battle and exploded."
Steelers Rip Raiders, Call for Suspension of Richard Seymour -- NFL FanHouse
