Photo Credit: Browns.com
The two scandals were nicknamed “noise gate” and “text gate”. Both seemed like minor offenses, but of course the NFL was ready to pounce with punishment.
“Noise gate” involved the Atlanta Falcons who were accused of pumping fake crowd noise into their stadium, the Georgia Dome. The noise was pumped into the stadium during opposing team huddles. Falcons owner Arthur Blank has decided not to appeal the NFL’s decision and released a statement about it, “What took place was wrong and nowhere near the standards by which we run our business. Anytime there are actions that compromise the integrity of the NFL or threaten the culture of our franchise, as this issue did, they will be dealt with swiftly and strongly.” He calls the entire situation “embarrassing”. The Falcons will lose a 2016 fifth round draft pick and fined $350,000.
The Cleveland Browns always seem to be making headlines and this time it is for “text gate”. Browns general manager Ray Farmer has been suspended four games for texting personnel during Browns games. On top of the suspension, Farmer was fined $250,000, but the team did not lose any draft picks. While it seems like an extremely minute issue, it violates the NFL’s electronic device policy. Farmer released a statement via the Browns saying, “Accountability is integral to what we are trying to build, and as a leader, I need to set the right example. I made a mistake and apologize to Jimmy Haslam, [coach] Mike Pettine, our entire organization and our fans for the ramifications. Learning is a big part of who I am, and I will certainly be better from this situation.” His suspension will begin week one of the new season.
