The NFL fined the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints $500,000 each Thursday after their joint practice in Oxnard, California, erupted into repeated fights, bringing the combined penalty to $1 million.
The NFL announced the penalties and said every club had received a memo before training camp about its responsibility to prevent unsportsmanlike behavior during joint practices.
“The Competition Committee has made sportsmanship — including at joint practices — a point of emphasis over the past several years,” the league said. “All clubs were reminded by memo prior to training camp of their responsibility in preventing unsportsmanlike behavior at joint practices that has the potential to result in injury.”
Practice devolves into brawls
The teams clashed repeatedly Tuesday at the Cowboys’ training camp base. Officials ejected Cowboys outside linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku after he threw a punch, his second practice ejection for fighting during camp, the team said.
Saints center Erik McCoy threw a Cowboys helmet during one scrum. Saints wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner later lifted Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson and slammed him to the ground during another fight, the Associated Press reported.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer and Saints head coach Kellen Moore discussed ending the practice early, but the teams finished after tempers cooled. “Right now, I’m in charge of fight club,” Schottenheimer said, according to a report.
Schottenheimer said both teams shared blame. “We’re certainly not going to take s— from anybody, but again, it was chippy on both sides,” he said.
The Dallas Express Sports Network recently interviewed Cowboys outside linebacker Sam Williams at Oxnard. Williams also tangled with Saints tight end Moliki Matavao during Tuesday’s practice, the Associated Press reported.
Jerry Jones plans an appeal
Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones said Thursday that Dallas will appeal the $500,000 fine. He also said the team will fine individual players who took part in the confrontations.
“That’s pretty harsh, I mean, pretty stiff, not harsh, but stiff,” Jones said. “But it does make the point that it’s a serious matter, and it starts with everybody at all levels of a club, and the clubs in this case who are practicing together, it really emphasizes the league’s intent to control it from the very top, which when they start dealing out those kinds of fines, they get your attention.”
Jones said the league had reason to act. “Taking the helmets off, swinging and hitting, that type of thing is not good for anybody, and it’s certainly not what we want to represent to our fans and as a league or as a team,” he said.
Rivals meet again
Thursday marked Dallas’ final practice in Oxnard. The Cowboys visit the Arizona Cardinals at 9 p.m. Saturday, then host the Saints at 7 p.m. on August 28 in the preseason finale, according to the team’s schedule.
Provided by Dallas Express
