Seattle Seahawks Coach Dennis Erickson has fined starters Rick Mirer, Cortez Kennedy and Eugene Robinson $1,000 each for eating hot dogs on the sideline during the team's preseason game in San Francisco.

"We just felt that the fines were necessary," the first-year head coach said today. "It wasn't done intentionally by them and they're great kids. But they made a mistake. They know that better than anybody."

Robinson, the team's regular free safety and defensive captain the past three years, said he apologized to team president David Behring, the coaching staff and his teammates.

"I had half a hot dog," Robinson said. "It was a pretty expensive hot dog."

Kennedy, a four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle, and Mirer, in his third season as the Seahawks' starting quarterback, did not want to talk about the third-quarter incident.

"I'm not talking about hot dogs -- period," Kennedy said.

"You guys have already written enough about that," Mirer said.

On Saturday night, Fox television cameras caught the three Seahawks trying furtively to eat hot dogs on the sidelines in the third quarter of a 17-7 loss. The players all had come out and were not going back into the game.

"It's embarrassing," Robinson said. "It makes us look like we're undisciplined. It was just uncalled for. I hold myself fully accountable."

Erickson said the $3,000 in fines will be given to First Place, a school for homeless children in Seattle, to pay for breakfasts and lunches.