It's been 10 days since Browns' defensive end Myles Garrett tried to kill Mason Rudolph with the Steeler quarterback's own helmet.

And this story hasn't faded.

It. Just. Keeps. Going.

On.

And on.

And on.

Half-hearted apologies. Finger-pointing. Shrugs of, “I didn't do anything wrong. He did something wrong.”

Outright lies to try to reduce a suspension.

Strange monetary fines.

On.

And on.

And on.

While I'm sure the NFL wanted the Browns-Steelers rivalry to rekindle because it's good for the league, the antics just after midnight on Nov. 15 are not what The Shield had in mind.

For those of you who haven't heard about the antics at the end of the Steelers-Browns game more than a week ago (and whoever you are, you need to get out more), here's a quick play-by-play:

Garrett hits Rudolph.

Hard.

Rudolph takes umbrage.

Garrett rips off Rudolph's helmet.

Rudolph charges Garrett with Pittsburgh offensive lineman David DeCastro in the middle.

Garrett swings Rudolph's helmet with full force down upon the quarterback's noggin.

Rudolph throws his arms up and looks around like, “Did he really just do that?”

All matters of chaos ensues.

The days following offered even more pandemonium.

Garrett issued an apology the next day as the NFL came down hard on him with an indefinite suspension.

Steeler center Maurkice Pouncey, who foolishly threw haymakers at a dude still wearing his helmet, got hit with a three-game ban (later reduced to two).

But wait. There's more.

Eight days after the incident, Garrett claimed he went insane because Rudolph used a racial slur.

It was the first Garrett's teammates had heard of it. The first the NFL had heard of it. The first anyone had heard of it.

It was an obvious ploy to get his suspension reduced and a very poor and misguided attempt at that.

Rudolph denied it. The NFL couldn't find evidence of such a slur and now the story is again firing up a week before the two teams play again.

Here's the deal. Even if Garrett is telling the truth and Rudolph uttered a racial slur during the incident, it really changes little.

You still can't try to brain someone with a helmet. It doesn't rise to that level of a response.

Really, nothing does.

Rudolph could have been killed. It sound like hyperbole, but, no. He really could have been killed.

An NFL helmet weighs eight pounds. Garrett is a strong man and swung full force. Had the helmet hit Rudolph in the wrong spot, like the temple, Rudolph could have died.

That's why the suspension is warranted. That's why the response was so swift and strict.

This wasn't a run-of-the-mill scuffle at the end of a game. This was much more serious.

Fans, being the fanatics that they are, have been polarized on this issue.

Browns' fans take the defense of “Rudolph started it.”

Steelers' fans call Garrett a thug and a punk.

Neither one is necessarily true. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

Rudolph, in hindsight, probably was foolish to charge a 280-pound man swinging a helmet.

Again, though, it doesn't matter who started it. It doesn't matter what Rudolph said or did.

You can't try to brain a guy with his own helmet.

Never. Ever.

This story will likely linger for the rest of the season and the offseason.

Garrett has to apply for reinstatement and his racial slur lie probably won't help him when it comes time to talk about returning.

Nor should it. That's a serious allegation and one that shouldn't be made to get a few games shaved off a suspension.

And what's with the $45,623 fine for Garrett? Why not just round down to an even 45k? Or up to $46,000.

NFL fines always baffled me. I'm sure it's a percentage system, but really?

And isn't that insult to injury for Garrett? He's not getting paid for the rest of the season AND he has to cough up $45,623.

Then again, he only has himself to blame for taking an altercation way too far.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.