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| According to Adam Schefter, the Atlanta Falcons and Cleveland Browns were informed of their pending punishments for pumping in crowd noise and illegally texting coaches in-game, respectively. The penalties will be announced next week, Schefter says, and they will reportedly be "severe." That'll likely mean some combinations of fines, docked draft picks, and in the Browns' case, a suspension for GM Ray Farmer. But whatever the details, Atlanta's punishment definitely ought to be harsher than Cleveland's. The Falcons sought a definite, quantifiable competitive advantage when they broadcast artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome over the last two seasons, seeking to drown out the other team's quarterback at the line of scrimmage. It required coordination, and it was no accident: owner Arthur Blank called it "wrong" and "embarrassing." This line from the Journal-Constitution's story on the penalties should mitigate the outrage somewhat, but still: Ironically, during last season the Falcons had to use silent counts because of crowd noise from the visiting teams' fans who overtook the Georgia Dome. |
I also used to think Seattle pumped in noise too, but now I'm not so sure. Several sports writers who attended the Seattle/Denver Super Bowl in the Met Life stadium said they never heard the place so loud. In addition, the upper deck overhang in CenturyLink stadium is curved back toward the playing field which causes sound waves to bounce back toward the field. Seahawks fans have a tradition of screaming at the top of their lungs when the opposition is about to snap the ball. They are very proud of this tradition, and they are also very weird.
"This prohibition also applies to the use of any electronic communication devices, including but not limited to a cell phone, smart phone, tablet device, or any type of computer, whether online or stand-alone, including laptop and hand-held computers, in the coaches' booths, on the sidelines, in the locker room (after kickoff), or in any other club-controlled area on game day beginning ninety (90) minutes prior to kickoff and continuing through the end of the game, including halftime (with the exception of League-issued tablets used for coaches' still photos).
"Team doctors and members of the athletic training staff are permitted to use tablet devices, cell phones, smart phones, or similar devices within the bench area and locker room to communicate player injury information, but may not communicate competitive or strategic information.
"Club football operations staff members are permitted to use cell phones outside the coaches' booths, bench areas, and locker rooms only when handling non-competitive and/or non-strategic communication."
The league's electronic devices rule also states:
"Unless specifically permitted by league rules, the use of cellular phones, smart phones, tablet devices, computers, wearable electronic devices such as Google Glass, and other electronic equipment by coaches, players, and other club personnel is prohibited in club-controlled areas including, but not limited to, sidelines and coaches' booths.
"These restrictions apply from ninety (90) minutes prior to kickoff through the end of the game, including halftime. Coaches, players, and other team personnel are permitted to use such electronic devices in the locker room prior to kickoff and are permitted to use league-issued Microsoft Surface tablets throughout game day for viewing coaches' still photos."
Here is the link to the article I found and quoted
Troy Polamalu got fined 10K from calling his wife to let her know he was OK after a hard hit a few years ago with a phone he borrowed from a trainer or someone on the medical staff, and that was considered a violation
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Neither do I, Zog. If the GM knows more about the game and the players currently on the field than his coaching staff, he hired the wrong staff.
It's not so much the GM, they just don't want anyone texting coaches on the field.
The idea is...this is supposed to be a controlled environment...without outside interference. That would include the GM, who unless he's on the sideline is "outside" the game.
So I do understand the rule.
Minnesota's load because of the dome. I've been to a few games and it's very unlikely they pump in noise.
Seattle's another story, but the NFL probably loves their "12th man" stories so I doubt anything happens there.