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DENVER -- John Lynch saw the next-day-mail envelope in his locker and he knew the news wasn't good.

The Denver Broncos safety has the distinction of being the first player to draw a fine this season, when the NFL sent him a letter Wednesday demanding $7,500 for a hard hit on Chiefs receiver Dante Hall in the opener.

"I'm going to let the appeal process begin today," said Lynch, who has a reputation for being one of the hardest hitters at the hardest-hitting position in football.

Even before the envelope arrived, Lynch had an inkling he'd be getting reprimanded. First, he drew a penalty for the hit. Then, he saw the play on pretty much every highlight show he watched -- over and over again.

"If you make the highlights these days, you're gonna get fined," he said. "That's pretty much what it comes down to. It's kind of hypocritical. They put it on their 'Greatest Hits,' but they'll fine you for it, too."

Lynch drew the fine for a hard blow just below Hall's face mask as Hall sprawled out to catch a ball over the middle. The hit came after it was fairly clear the ball couldn't be caught, though it's hard to know if Lynch could have pulled up to avoid contact in time.

He said officials told him he was penalized not for a helmet-to-helmet hit -- something the league has cracked down on severely over the past few seasons -- but for taking a shot at a defenseless receiver.

"They told me he was defenseless," Lynch said. "Isn't that always the case?"

Bronco bits:
Lynch spent part of Tuesday with President Bush, who was in Denver on a campaign stop. ... CB Lenny Walls, out a few weeks with a dislocated shoulder, wore a splint in the locker room Wednesday. He was supposed to start opposite Champ Bailey, but a preseason ankle injury delayed that plan. Now, the shoulder. "I was looking forward to this year. But there's a lot of season left. I've just got to stay positive and get healthy," he said. ... The Broncos will travel to Jacksonville a day early for their game against the Jaguars, and practice at Alltel Stadium on Saturday in an attempt to acclimate to the hot, humid weather. ... Jake Plummer said some of his teammates have taken to calling him "Lefty," a reference to the right-handed quarterback's decision to throw left-handed out of his own end zone Sunday. The throw resulted in an interception. "They call me lefty. There have been some jokes. It's all fun now because we won," Plummer said. ... Backup RB Garrison Hearst was listed as questionable for Sunday's game with an injured ankle.

Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press