Monday, November 17, 2014

Third-time [bleep!] offender Rex 'stunned' by fine

BY NICK ST. DENIS

Rex Ryan is used to getting fine letters, but that doesn't make them any less painful.

The New York Jets coach was fined $100,000 by the NFL last week for yelling "[bleep] you!" at the end of Gang Green's upset win over the Pittsburgh Steelers--a gesture that was caught on the game broadcast, of course.

The fine was so large because Ryan is a repeat offender, as he was docked $75,000 by the league in 2011 for swearing at a fan and $50,000 by the Jets in 2010 for flipping the bird at a heckler at an off-duty event.

"I was stunned by it, to say the least," Ryan said Monday, via Newsday.

He also joked that he burned the letter and repeated his displeasure with the officiating in the game, particular as it pertains to the protection (or lack thereof) of quarterback Michael Vick.

"... I apologize if I offended somebody," he said. "It wasn't my intention. It was meant to be a private conversation."

Ryan also assured that his wife wasn't particularly happy about the financial penalty, either.

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