New York Jets fined $100K for sideline wall
On Thursday afternoon, the NFL fined the New York Jets team $100,000 for breaking league rules when Sal Alosi, ex-strength and conditioning coach for the team, tripped Miami Dolphins gunner Nolan Carroll during a punt return, while Carroll was running down
the sideline.
The fine was imposed because Alosi ''placed players in a prohibited area on the sideline to impede an opposing team's special players and gain a competitive advantage.'' The league called it a dangerous tactic as well as a competitive violation.
Mike Westhoff, special teams coach, and Alosi were also chided for making public accusations that other teams also use the sideline wall.
The Jets issued a statement saying that “we will comply with the league’s decision.”
Five inactive players were told by Alosi to stand shoulder to shoulder on the sideline, to deter players from running out of bounds in their loss to the Dolphins on December 12.
Jeff Cumberland, tight end, said that Alosi has been telling them do make the wall all season long.
Alosi was first fined $25,000 and suspended for the rest of the season without pay for tripping Carroll. But when the Jets found out that he told the team that he had told players to form the wall, the Jets said that he was not welcome back to the team under
any circumstances.
Although fans and the media have been claiming that Westhoff and head coach Rex Ryan knew about the wall, they are denying it.
''I wasn't aware that was going on,'' Ryan said at the time. ''It's easy for me to stand here and tell you that.''
The NFL then started an investigation about the matter, speaking with the team and the front office. They also spoke with Westhoff about his comments saying that other teams, including the New England Patriots, also utilize the wall method.
''I'm not accusing the Patriots of doing something wrong,'' Westhoff said. ''Maybe they're doing something smart. That's up to you. Watch the tape, you tell me.''
In the NFL’s statement about the fine, they said that the league fined the Jets to ''emphasize that clubs are accountable for the actions of their employees and have the obligation to ensure that all members of their organization comply with league rules.''
It went on to say that the policy of the league makes it mandatory for the teams to report any “actual of suspected violations of the competitive rules” by other NFL teams to the head office only; not to go out and accuse them in public.
A couple of days after the incident, the league sent an informative letter to all 32 of the NFL teams, reminding them about restrictions and rules for the sidelines and bench areas.
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