The NFL put a price tag on joint-practice chaos Thursday, fining the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints $500,000 each for unsportsmanlike behavior at their Tuesday session in Oxnard, California.
NFL.com and the Associated Press both carried the league's statement, which tied the penalties directly to a broader Competition Committee campaign. Sportsmanship at joint practices, the NFL said, has been a point of emphasis for several years.
Before camp, every club received a memo about preventing behavior that can cause injuries - the same theme the league invoked when it docked both organizations half a million dollars.
Why joint practices are under the microscope
Joint workouts are meant to simulate game speed without the full risk of a live Sunday. When they dissolve into punches and helmet swings, the league's concern is injury as much as image.
AP reported that the NFL requested video of the Oxnard practice before announcing the fines, underscoring how closely the sessions are reviewed even when television cameras are not packing a full broadcast truck.
NFL.com also noted that the NFL sent a memo to teams in July stating that coaches and players are held to the highest standards of professionalism and sportsmanship during joint practices, citing ESPN's earlier reporting on that reminder.
Tuesday's lowlights, as AP recorded them
Multiple skirmishes with punches thrown. Saints tight end Brock Rechsteiner body-slamming Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson. Saints center Erik McCoy tossing a Cowboys helmet into the air. An ugly exchange between McCoy and Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku that ended with Ezeiruaku ejected for the second time in camp.
Coaches nearly pulled the plug. Schottenheimer and Moore talked about ending early after repeated post-whistle trouble, AP and NFL.com reported. Schottenheimer labeled the day chippy and said Dallas did not handle discipline well. Moore later referred to "non-football stuff" in the session.
