Atlanta Falcons Fined - The Atlanta Falcons have been fined $350,000 for pumping artificial crowd noise home games inside the Georgia Dome in 2013 and 2014, according to the NFL. Not only were the Atlanta Falcons fined the hefty amount, but they will reportedly be forfeiting a fifth-round draft pick in the 2016 draft because of the violation.
With the Atlanta Falcons fined and with the forfeit of the fifth-round draft pick, they will lose the highest of the selections in the multiple picks in the fifth round, said then NFL.
According to the rules, "at no point during the game can artificial crowd noise or amplified crowd noise be played in the stadium."
Apart from the Atlanta Falcons fined, the NFL also reportedly suspended Falcons president Rich McKay from his chairman role in the league's competition committee starting April 1. McKay has been on the competition committee for 22 years. Because of the suspension, he is not allowed to apply for reinstatement until June 30, according to USA Today.
"What took place was wrong and nowhere near the standards by which we run our business," said Falcons owner Arthur Blank in a statement. "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."
The Falcons will not appeal the punishment, said Blank. Last month, he admitted to the wrongdoing, adding that he found the situation "embarrassing," reported ESPN.
Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, said that the Falcons committed the violation "throughout the 2013 season and into the 2014 season until the club was notified last November that the violation had been identified."
Before the Atlanta Falcons were fined, the NFL had been investigating the Falcons for the noise present during the time opposing teams were huddling, attempting to call their plays. According to some around the league, silent counts have constituted crowd noise more irrelevant. It is also difficult to determine whether how much advantage the Falcons had for it.
"The League conducted a thorough investigation of this matter, and we cooperated fully," said Blank. "We understand the penalties imposed and their impact on our team, and we will not appeal the league's decisions. Further, we have addressed the matter internally and taken actions to ensure that something like this does not happen again."
"The Falcons and all of our other businesses are built upon a foundation of values that drive our decision making. This issue was a clear failure in that regard. I apologize for any embarrassment this situation has caused the NFL, our fans, and our Falcons players and associates," Blank added.
According to Vincent, the NFL has concluded that Roddy White, the Falcons' former director of marketing, had been "directly responsible for the violation," hence the Atlanta Falcons fined.
McKay was not aware of White's violations; however, he was suspended from the league's competition committee because he failed to ensure that the franchise complied with league rules.
Along with the Atlanta Falcons fined, White would be suspended without pay for the first eight weeks of the 2015 regular season had he still been with the club. If he becomes employed with another NFL team for 2015, he may be required to serve some or all of this suspension, according to independent website ajc.com.
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