Continued Gag Rule: NFL Fines Plaxico Burress For Criticizing Referees

The NFL again imposes its gag rule against players, coaches, and players against criticizing or commenting on NFL referees.  Why do they insist on a gag rule and chilling people from commenting and discussing NFL referee performance?

News reports say that Plaxico Burress said that a call against him was one of the worst call he'd ever seen.  Also that he is playing his tail off and he wanted the referees to do the same thing.  And that a bad call is like a referee just stealing from him.

How is that something that should be fined $20,000?

His defense should be that he was not calling the referees corrupt or questioning their integrity -- he was just expressing his opinion that there was a bad call, which also helped explain Plaxico Burress's own performance and help the fans know what he had done during the game.

Sportswriters should respond to the gag rule by increasing commentary of NFL referee performance.  Everyone makes mistakes, why not point them out and discuss them, especially if the NFL uses a harsh gag rule on the players?  Are people afraid to upset the NFL?