NEW YORK – The New York Jets fined their coach Rex Ryan $50,000 for making the obscene gesture that involves the middle finger while at a martial arts fight in South Florida over the weekend.
Nowadays everyone is walking around with a cell phone with photo and video capabilities. You would think these professional coaches and athletes would learn over time that they are always under the watchful eye of the public.
Ryan voiced what the rest of the world must have been thinking when he apologized the following day saying, his actions were “stupid and inappropriate.” General manager Mike Tannenbaum had said the organization was disappointed and would address the matter internally which he did today by levying the fine.
The coach also could be fined by the NFL under its personal conduct policy.
Ryan’s image drew loud boos from the crowd when a ringside Showtime interview was shown on the Bank Atlantic Center video scoreboard.
Of course in Ryan fashion, the coach also trash-talked even though his season is over saying “I want to just tell everybody in Miami, hey, we’re coming to beat you twice next year.”
Ryan has made headlines all season with his trash-talking and going way out there like when he cried at a team meeting in front of his players. His team went 9-7 during the season and went on to make the playoffs. His prediction about the Jets saying the team should be the favorite to win the Super Bowl was brushed off as just Ryan being Ryan.
Last weekend at the Pro Bowl in Miami, several of the Jets’ players supported their coach.
“He’s one of those guys who if you come at me, I’m coming at you. It was all in fun. They were probably yelling and talking stuff at him and it ticked him off. Fans can be like that,” defensive end Shaun Ellis told the New York Post.
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