The NFL is reviewing the personal foul penalty that Cowboys offensive tackle Flozell Adams drew at the end of Sunday's first half against the New York Giants for potential disciplinary action. Jordan Woy, Adams' agent, said he's talked to NFL officials about what happened with his client and Giants defensive end Justin Tuck. Adams pushed Tuck in the back, sending him to the ground. Adams, through his agent, told the league he thought the play was still alive.
"We talked to the Cowboys and the league office," Woy told ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins on Monday. "It's all under review and we told them our side of it."
Coach Wade Phillips said on Monday he talked to Adams at halftime about what happened. Phillips would not reveal specifics of their conversation.
The league declined to speculate on the potential outcome of its review, but Adams at the very least faces a fine and could wind up getting suspended.
"Any altercation of that nature is reviewed for discipline," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Watkins.
Adams was given a personal foul penalty though no yardage was marked off against Dallas at the start of the second half.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin said he had spoken with NFL director of officiating Mike Pereira about the play.
"He's already reviewed it with his staff, and they are in the process of discussing it. There was no option given to us [to accept a penalty]. To say the penalty was declined gives the wrong impression," Coughlin said. "That specific aspect of the rule has to be addressed. ... There was no eviction, no penalty, nothing."
Coughlin said he was told there wasn't any option because the penalty happened after the whistle had been blown, after a Giants player in the end zone fielded a missed field goal attempt and stepped out of bounds to end the half.
Adams, who has a history of run-ins with the Giants, caused injury to Tuck in Week 2 when he stuck out his leg and tripped him, causing Tuck to fall to the ground and land on his shoulder.
In that same game, Adams kicked Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora. He was fined $12,500 for the two fouls.
One week earlier, in Dallas' season opener against Tampa, Adams was fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness.
After Sunday's game, Tuck lashed out at Adams.
"I laugh at stuff like that," he said. "It just just proves what kind of dirtbag he is."
When asked what happened at the end of the first half, Tuck said, "[The officials] blew the ball dead and I was headed toward the sidelines and pretty much had stopped. And somebody shoved me to the ground from the back and before I could get up he was [engulfed by] our sideline. So I didn't get to sneak any cheap shots in."
In the Cowboys' locker room after the Giants beat Dallas 31-24, Adams had this comment about Tuck: "I ain't talking about him. He's a nobody."
If the NFL opts to suspend Adams, it would inform Dallas of its decision by the end of Tuesday for game-planning purposes. The Cowboys (8-4), who are tied for the NFC East lead, play host to the AFC West-leading Chargers on Sunday.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Panther's Goalie hit in the head by teammate
Florida goalie Tomas Vokoun boarded the team plane with his head wrapped and left ear stitched up, the shock and confusion of defenseman Keith Ballard's ill-advised actions had worn off. The Panthers could laugh again.
"It looked a lot more scary than it really was," Vokoun said Wednesday morning, wearing a black ski cap and a white bandage over his ear that was cut in the middle and required more than 10 stitches. "I do have a nasty cut on my ear, but it's not usual for goalies, but players get cut all the time. It's not a big deal to anybody, it's just because it was such a freak accident."
At the time, it was a big deal for Ballard.
He spoke with Vokoun on the flight back to South Florida, apologizing so many times that Vokoun had to tell him to stop. Vokoun, Ballard said, tried to reassure him and laugh off the injury. He told the defenseman not to worry about the swipe and told him that he was fine.
"I just felt terrible," Ballard said. "I didn't know what to say. I don't know how many times I apologized and we talked for a bit and he came back and sat with me and we talked for a while longer. In those 15 or so minutes, I don't know how many times I apologized. Finally, he's just like, don't worry about it, it's enough."
Ballard accidentally hit Vokoun with his stick after Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk scored Monday night to give the Thrashers a 2-1 lead. Ballard erupted in frustration and hurled his stick toward the goal's crossbar. He whacked Vokoun instead and skated off the ice without realizing that his own goalie was writhing in pain.
"It wasn't so much that they scored a goal, I think it was just built-up frustration," Ballard said. "We've lost five games in a row, I haven't played well. Maybe everything kind of boiled over. Obviously, I did not handle it in a good way at all. That's why I think they scored and I just kind of snapped a little bit. And it's unacceptable."
Ballard, who was given an award before Wednesday's game against Colorado for being the Panthers' top defenseman in November, didn't speak with the media on Monday night and players were off Tuesday. Both Vokoun and Ballard's first comments on the incident came Wednesday morning.
Vokoun, who also grows queasy at the sight of his own blood, wasn't told how he ended up sprawled out on the ice until he was at an Atlanta-area hospital. He said he thought he had caught a knee or was kicked in the head, and admitted the truth was hard to believe.
"It's not a big deal," Vokoun said. "Poor guy had some tough luck for a couple games. We all get frustrated. I'm not surprised he got mad. You can tell, I saw it myself, he didn't even know he hit me. He was trying to hit the net post again after and he skated away like nothing happened. I've play with Ballard for a couple years, you know what kind of person he is. So I knew how bad he felt. Let's hope it's quickly out of the highlights and media so he doesn't have to hear about it again."
Ballard faces no NHL or team discipline. Vokoun is expected to return as soon as he can wear a helmet over his ear without unmanageable discomfort. Scott Clemmensen started in goal for the Panthers on Wednesday night. Florida coach Pete DeBoer said Vokoun could return to the ice by Thursday.
"Soon as he can stand the pain of getting the helmet on and feels comfortable taking some shots, which I think will be sooner than later, he'll be back in there," DeBoer said.
Ballard has seen the video of the injury and admits it "looks awful." But Ballard said he didn't pay much attention to his phone yesterday, nor did he take time to watch the incident looped on television, where ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose called the incident "maybe the stupidest thing I've seen in my life."
"It was terrible," Ballard said. "It's not something that you ever want to do again. I kind of got caught up in the moment. Thankfully, Tomas is OK. It could have been a lot worse." Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
"It looked a lot more scary than it really was," Vokoun said Wednesday morning, wearing a black ski cap and a white bandage over his ear that was cut in the middle and required more than 10 stitches. "I do have a nasty cut on my ear, but it's not usual for goalies, but players get cut all the time. It's not a big deal to anybody, it's just because it was such a freak accident."
At the time, it was a big deal for Ballard.
He spoke with Vokoun on the flight back to South Florida, apologizing so many times that Vokoun had to tell him to stop. Vokoun, Ballard said, tried to reassure him and laugh off the injury. He told the defenseman not to worry about the swipe and told him that he was fine.
"I just felt terrible," Ballard said. "I didn't know what to say. I don't know how many times I apologized and we talked for a bit and he came back and sat with me and we talked for a while longer. In those 15 or so minutes, I don't know how many times I apologized. Finally, he's just like, don't worry about it, it's enough."
Ballard accidentally hit Vokoun with his stick after Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk scored Monday night to give the Thrashers a 2-1 lead. Ballard erupted in frustration and hurled his stick toward the goal's crossbar. He whacked Vokoun instead and skated off the ice without realizing that his own goalie was writhing in pain.
"It wasn't so much that they scored a goal, I think it was just built-up frustration," Ballard said. "We've lost five games in a row, I haven't played well. Maybe everything kind of boiled over. Obviously, I did not handle it in a good way at all. That's why I think they scored and I just kind of snapped a little bit. And it's unacceptable."
Ballard, who was given an award before Wednesday's game against Colorado for being the Panthers' top defenseman in November, didn't speak with the media on Monday night and players were off Tuesday. Both Vokoun and Ballard's first comments on the incident came Wednesday morning.
Vokoun, who also grows queasy at the sight of his own blood, wasn't told how he ended up sprawled out on the ice until he was at an Atlanta-area hospital. He said he thought he had caught a knee or was kicked in the head, and admitted the truth was hard to believe.
"It's not a big deal," Vokoun said. "Poor guy had some tough luck for a couple games. We all get frustrated. I'm not surprised he got mad. You can tell, I saw it myself, he didn't even know he hit me. He was trying to hit the net post again after and he skated away like nothing happened. I've play with Ballard for a couple years, you know what kind of person he is. So I knew how bad he felt. Let's hope it's quickly out of the highlights and media so he doesn't have to hear about it again."
Ballard faces no NHL or team discipline. Vokoun is expected to return as soon as he can wear a helmet over his ear without unmanageable discomfort. Scott Clemmensen started in goal for the Panthers on Wednesday night. Florida coach Pete DeBoer said Vokoun could return to the ice by Thursday.
"Soon as he can stand the pain of getting the helmet on and feels comfortable taking some shots, which I think will be sooner than later, he'll be back in there," DeBoer said.
Ballard has seen the video of the injury and admits it "looks awful." But Ballard said he didn't pay much attention to his phone yesterday, nor did he take time to watch the incident looped on television, where ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose called the incident "maybe the stupidest thing I've seen in my life."
"It was terrible," Ballard said. "It's not something that you ever want to do again. I kind of got caught up in the moment. Thankfully, Tomas is OK. It could have been a lot worse." Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
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