Frustrated Packer Fan Starts GoFundMe Campaign For Clay Matthews

WISCONSIN -- One Green Bay Packer fan in Wisconsin has said that enough is enough. Adam Waraxa of Pewaukee says he'd like to support Clay Matthews, whose weekly exploits involve tackling NFL quarterbacks, and getting fined for it under the league's new "roughing the passer" guidelines.

"I am raising money because the [referees] for the NFL have been increasingly unfair and I would like to show my support toward the Green Bay Packer’s, especially Clay Matthews. Go Pack Go! All proceeds will go to paying for the fines that may accumulate from the penalties against the Packers." Roughing the passer fines can come with a minimum fine of $20,053 and go up from there.

It should be noted that in 2018, Matthews will earn a base salary of $10,400,000, a roster bonus of $468,750 and a workout bonus of $500,000.

Related Reading:

Pay For Clay: An NFL Roughing the Passer Fundraiser

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Matthews earned his third roughing penalty in as many weeks Sunday for "tackling" Washington Redskin quarterback Alex Smith. SB Nation dialed up the snark, saying "He was promptly flagged thanks to his inability to suspend the laws of gravity and instead falling on top of the player he was tackling."

The call subsequently put Green Bay Packer head coach Mike McCarthy into orbit, as the burly headman barreled down the sidelines in a fit of rage, sending the game's sideline official into an epic backpedal.

McCarthy was a bit more restrained during his post-game press conference: “I thought Clay did exactly what he’s supposed to do there,” said McCarthy. “He hit him with his shoulder, he was coming full speed off of a block, he braced himself, so I was fine with what Clay did.”

Week 2 Woes

In a week 2 home game against the Minnesota Vikings, Matthews - or should we say the referees - were at it again. In this play, Matthews tackles Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins as he releases the ball. The result of the game play was a potential game-clinching interception for the Packers. A roughing the passer penalty against Matthews extended the game, resulting in a 29-29 tie.

Week 1 Late Hit

We begin this saga in the 2018 NFL season's opening game against the Chicago Bears. In this play, Matthews legitimately tackles Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky after the play. The result of the play gave the Bears new life at the end of the game, however they came up short against Green Bay in this one.

NFL "Getting Soft"

After the Washington game, Matthews was interviewed by a gaggle of reporters regarding his latest hit. In the video replay of the interview, you can see Matthews struggle with taking a diplomatic approach to a vexing problem: how to hit the quarterback without getting penalized. "Unfortunately this league's going in a direction I think a lot of people don't like. I think they're getting soft," Matthews said in the interview. "The only thing hard about this league is the fines they levy down on guys like me who play the game hard."

“You see as soon as I hit the ground, you see me try to pull my hands up. Obviously when you are tackling a guy from the front, you’re gonna land on him,” Matthews said after the Washington game. “I understand the spirit of the rule, I said it weeks prior. But when you have a hit like that, that’s a football play. I even went up to Alex Smith after the game, asked him, ‘What do you think? What can I do differently? Because that’s a football play.’"

The Ultimate Late Hit

In a 1986 game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field, Charles Martin of the Packers body slammed Bears quarterback Jim McMahon after McMahon threw an interception. As you can see from the video, Martin's hit came well after the play:

Photo Credit: Clay Matthews #52 of the Green Bay Packers in action against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 4, 2015 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)