In a previous thread, note was made of a notorious example of poor (and dangerous) "sportsmanship," where a New York Jets coach intentionally tripped an opposing player running down the sideline during a punt return play.
The incident started off with a rest-of-the-season suspension for the coach, who admitted to the deliberate tripping (but read on, it gets worse).
As first reported (with some pathetic rationalizations):
"NFL Suspends Jets Coach Rest of Season for Tripping Player"
"The NFL suspended New York Jets strength coach Sal Alosi for the rest of the regular season and the playoffs without pay for his intentional tripping of Miami Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll(notes) on Sunday. He was also fined $25,000. . . .
"In a brief statement at Jets headquarters in New Jersey, Alosi told reporters that he had apologized to Carroll, Dolphins coach Tony Sparano, Jets owner Woody Johnson, team general manager Mike Tannenbaum and head coach Rex Ryan. He said he didn't offer his resignation and would be accepting of any punishment that was handed down.
"That ended up being three games, and any potential Jets playoff games, without salary, an essential ban for the rest of the season. The decision was jointly decided upon by the Jets and the NFL. That, plus the fine, is a severe penalty for a coach who makes a working-man's salary, not the millions of dollars earned by the players he trains.
"The 33-year-old coach looked nervous in front of the assembled media earlier on Monday, but his words and mannerisms seemed sincere.
"There were calls to fire the coach for the bush-league maneuver, but the league was wise to resist that mob mentality. A severe sanction was in order and this punishment was justified. A termination was not. How could Roger Goodell rationalize getting rid of a coach while giving players repeated chances to come back from far more heinous offenses? The biggest story in the NFL this year involves a player given a second chance. Alosi deserved the same chance.
"This is no defense of Alosi; the tripping was a heinous offense. The NFL has a hard enough time keeping players safe from other players, let alone from coaches standing on the sideline. But it was a momentary lapse in judgment and one that isn't apt to be repeated by anyone else. There isn't going to be a rash of assistant coaches with happy feet trying to tangle up opponents. It was an isolated incident, which means Alosi's punishment didn't need to send a message to anyone else but Alosi.
"Rex Ryan acknowledged that his assistant messed up but defended him. 'Sal made a huge mistake," he said. "I can't remember anything like this.'
"He's right. The scene late in the third quarter was one of the most bizarre sequences you'll see on a football field . . . .
"If anything, the NFL might have gone too far. Players who pocket millions every year get $25,000 in fines for potentially paralyzing hits. Carroll get suspended for three games, losing almost one-fifth of his yearly salary and gets fined 25 grand? That's stunning. He just stuck his foot out! I guess that's what happens when you're the low man on the totem pole in Roger Goodell's NFL. It's easier to play tough with someone who isn't in a position of power.
"The sincerity of Alosi's apology should have affected his eventual punishment and at least allowed him to coach in any Jets playoff games (although, at this rate, who knows if the Jets will have any playoff games). The coach got out in front of the story, acknowledged his mistake and made the appropriate calls to everyone involved. That didn't absolve him of his actions, but it deserved to make the penalty for them a bit less severe."
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/NFL-suspends-Jets-coach-rest-of-season-for-tripp?urn=nfl-295447http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,55475,55475#msg-55475_____
But, wait, it now stinks more than first revealed.
The tripping, it turns out, appears to have been an orchestrated plan involving not only the offending coach but several other complicit Jet players:
"Jets Suspend Alosi Indefinitely for Ordering Wall in Tripping Incident"
" . . . The New York Jets have suspended assistant coach Sal Alosi indefinitely after discovering he ordered five inactive players to form a wall along the sideline for a punt return, during which Alosi tripped Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll.
"Upon learning the Jets intentionally set up the wall to hinder the gunner on punt coverage, many Dolphins weren't surprised. 'Shows you the character of the franchise,' linebacker Channing Crowder said.
"When asked if lining up along the sideline to hinder the gunner is strategy, Crowder pointed out: 'It's cheating. An edge is jumping the snap count. Cheating is trying to hurt other players.'
"The Jets initially suspended Alosi for the season without pay and fined him an additional $25,000, but upon learning about the wall they stiffened the punishment.
"Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum claims coach Rex Ryan and special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff were not involved with the wall.
"NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said by e-mail that Ray Anderson, the league's football-operations executive, is 'reviewing sideline protocols from a leaguewide perspective.'
"Carroll downplayed the incident after the game; Alosi called him and apologized before the team left New York on Sunday night. Carroll accepted his apology and moved on from the incident, but he's disappointed it hasn't gone away.
"'The past couple of days it's been continious,' Carroll said. 'Every channel I've turned to, I'm just trying to watch TV and I can't get away from it. It's been numerous times I've seen it and I can't get away from it.'
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-12-15/sports/sfl-zach-thomas-dolphins-jets-trip-10_1_lydon-murtha-mike-westhoff-channing-crowder_____
What a bunch of losers.
("Conspiratorial New Twist in Tripping Incident: Jets Coach Sal Alosi's 'Devious Act' Turns Out to Have Been An Orchestrated Group Effort (cont., OT)," posted by steve benson, 16 December 2010, 09:29 a.m., at:
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,57148)
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2010 11:24AM by steve benson.