Jets coach Rex Ryan fined $100K
New York Jets coach Rex Ryan is losing games and, now, money.
Ryan was fined $100,000 by the league for his profane outburst last Sunday after his team snapped an eight-game losing streak with an upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In six seasons as the Jets' coach, Ryan has been fined a total of $225,000 for three separate outbursts.
This time, Ryan was caught on camera yelling "F--- you!" to someone on the field. It happened as he walked to midfield for the postgame handshake.
Ryan, who received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the fourth quarter for arguing an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on quarterbackMichael Vick, was seething because he felt the officials didn't "protect" Vick as well asSteelers quarterbackBen Roethlisbergerthroughout the game. Both quarterbacks were subjected to questionable hits, but the Steelers weren't penalized for any of them.
The next day, Ryan commented on his profanity.
"I think I was saying, 'Thank you,'" Ryan joked.
Turning serious, he said: "Emotions run high in games. Sometimes it's best to ... what happens on the field stays on the field. That's where it stems from. It's a very emotional game. Obviously, I've got to do a good job of controlling my emotions. Things happen. I'm sorry if I offended anybody."
He declined to say to whom his curse was directed.
The NFL defines taunting as "the use of abusive, threatening, or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials, or representatives of the league."
Ryan was fined $50,000 by the Jets for making an obscene gesture at an MMA event in South Florida in February 2010, during the run-up to the Super Bowl.
In 2011, his mouth got him into trouble during halftime of a game against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. As he walked to the locker room, Ryan was heckled by a fan.
"Rex, [Bill] Belichick is better than you," the fan yelled.
Ryan, already angry because the Jets had allowed a touchdown in the final seconds of the half, fired back, "Shut the f--- up!"
That resulted in a $75,000 fine by the league.
Also fined following Sunday's win were linebacker Jason Babin ($16,537) for unnecessary roughness (a late hit on Ben Roethlisberger), and Michael Vick ($8,268) for unsportsmanlike conduct (flipping the ball at an opponent).
