The "Bob 'N Weave" was an expensive celebration dance for eightSt. Louis Rams players, fined a total of $90,000 by the NFL onThursday.
Wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, both repeat offenders,were fined $20,000 each for violating the rule against "prolonged,excessive or premeditated demonstrations" during the Rams' 40-29victory over Minnesota last Sunday. Tight end Roland Williams, also arepeater, was fined $15,000.
Running back Marshall Faulk and tight end Ernie Conwell were fined$10,000 each, and offensive guard Tom Nutten and running backs JustinWatson and James Hodgins were fined $5,000 apiece.
"I tripped out on the number they threw out at us," said Holt, whoinvented the end-zone dance last year during the Rams' drive to theSuper Bowl championship. "I may make a call to try to get the numberdown, but if not, I'll take care of the fine and we'll move on."
NFL owners voted last March to levy fines for celebrations by twoor more players. The vote was 30-0 with one abstention-the Rams.
Quarterback Kurt Warner plans to pick up the tab, although he'llhave to find a way around league rules to do it. Fines are deductedfrom players' paychecks.
"They tell me I can't technically pay fines for other players,that nobody can pay fines for other players," Warner said. "We'll seewhat we can do for league purposes."
YAHOO MOVES WAGER ADS: The world's biggest Internet portal haslearned an important lesson: Sports and gambling can make a volatilemix.
Yahoo Inc. said it was taking advertisements for gambling-relatedsites off its football Web pages in order to preserve its covetedrelationship with the NFL.
Yahoo presents radio broadcasts of games and auctions of NFLmerchandise, part of a partnership that began in October. At thetime, Yahoo founder Jerry Yang and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabuemet in the company's headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., and beamedas they discussed the business opportunities the other could offer.
The ads in question, for online casinos and sites that offer tipsto sports bettors, were not up when the partnership was announced,NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. He said league officials found outabout the ads last week.
CARRUTH TRIAL: Rae Carruth was making more than $650,000 and hadno reason to worry about the cost of supporting another son, CarolinaPanthers officials testified.
Carruth, a former Panthers receiver, is charged with plotting tokill his pregnant girlfriend, Cherica Adams, who died exactly oneyear ago.
A makeshift memorial with a lighted candle was placed outside thecourthouse. "It is a bittersweet day," said her mother, SaundraAdams, who has remained silent while attending the eight-week trial."We really, really miss our daughter so much. We know she's inheaven."
JAIL FOR PHILLIPS: Lawrence Phillips, a former NFL and Nebraskarunning back, was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading nocontest to beating up his girlfriend.
Phillips, who had a no-bail arrest warrant issued for him onTuesday after failing to appear for trial, pleaded no contestWednesday to felony counts of beating the woman and making aterrorist threat.
ALSTOTT PRACTICES: Being selected to the Pro Bowl for the fourthstraight season was only part of the good news for Mike Alstott.Tampa Bay's fullback also practiced for the first time sincespraining his left knee three weeks ago. The Joliet Catholic producthopes to return to the lineup when the Buccaneers face St. Louis onMonday night.
The Bucs originally thought the injury, described as a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament, would sideline him 6-to-8 weeks.
"It felt great. I ran the ball, blocked, ran routes, the wholenine yards," the fifth-year pro said. "It was a good day."
NOTES: Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler practiced with norestrictions despite his shoulder injury, increasing the likelihoodhe'll start Sunday against Indianapolis.
Fiedler tore the rotator cuff in his left (non-throwing) shoulderlast week against Tampa Bay. He took most of the snaps in practice,coach Dave Wannstedt said.
Jake Plummer, who sat out last week's game with sore ribs,surprised Arizona interim coach Dave McGinnis with a strongperformance in practice and may be able to start Sunday againstBaltimore.
No comments:
Post a Comment