Cowboys, Saints fined $500,000 each after joint-practice brawl (Video)
(There was pushing, shoving, punches thrown, plenty of trash talk, helmets being tossed …)
The Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints have each been hit with a $500,000 fine by the NFL after multiple fights broke out during their joint practice Tuesday in Oxnard, California.
The league announced the penalties Thursday, emphasizing that teams had been warned before training camp that players and coaches are expected to maintain professionalism and sportsmanship during joint practices.
The warning apparently didn’t survive the heat of the moment.
Tuesday’s session featured repeated pushing and shoving, punches, trash talk, a helmet being thrown and a player being taken to the ground. The escalating confrontations became serious enough that Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer and Saints coach Kellen Moore discussed the possibility of ending practice early.
“We didn’t handle that very well today,” Schottenheimer said afterward, acknowledging the discipline problems that overshadowed the workout.
Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku was ejected after allegedly throwing a punch. It was reportedly his second ejection during the team’s Southern California training camp.
The Cowboys and Saints ultimately finished the practice, but the NFL’s response was anything but routine. The league said its Competition Committee has made sportsmanship at joint practices a priority because unsportsmanlike conduct can lead to injuries.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Dallas plans to appeal the $500,000 fine. He also indicated that Cowboys players involved in the altercations would face individual fines.
The teams were holding the joint practice ahead of their respective preseason games. Dallas is scheduled to face the Arizona Cardinals, while New Orleans is preparing to play the Los Angeles Rams.
For both organizations, the lesson from this particular practice is likely to be remembered long after the bruises—and the preseason—are gone: playing with an edge is encouraged in the NFL, but crossing the line can be extremely expensive.
For more on the massive fines levied by the NFL for brawling, see the video below.
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(Sources: NFL, Reuters, Yahoo! Sports)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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