TallySaint

Updated: Oct. 19, 2005, 8:18 PM ET

Haslett fined $20K for comments about officials
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com


New Orleans Saints coach Jim Haslett, who termed a last-minute penalty in last week's emotionally-wrenching loss to the Atlanta Falcons a "flat-out chicken[expletive] call," has been fined $20,000 by the NFL for his public criticism of game officials.

Haslett is the third coach this season, joining Mike Shanahan of Denver ($20,000) and Washington's Joe Gibbs ($10,000), to be sanctioned for their derogatory comments about game officials.

The object of Haslett's ire was a holding penalty against defensive end Tony Bryant on a 41-yard field goal attempt that came with the game tied at 31. Kicker Todd Peterson was wide left with the kick, but Bryant, aligned at left end on the placement try, was flagged for holding an Atlanta player and permitting a teammate to penetrate into the backfield.

The technique, known in NFL vernacular as a "hold and shoot" maneuver, probably had no bearing on the kick. Given a do-over, from five yards closer, Peterson nailed the 36-yard kick to provide the Falcons with a victory at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

In his post-game news conference, Haslett four times used the mild expletive to refer to the call by an officiating crew headed by veteran referee Bill Carollo.

Especially irksome to Haslett and several Saints players was that they claimed Falcons rookie linebacker Michael Boley employed a similar technique which allowed Atlanta to block a second-quarter field goal attempt by New Orleans kicker John Carney. The field goal block was returned by Falcons linebacker Demorrio Williams for a touchdown.

On Monday, after considering his comments, Haslett backed off a bit.

"For the most part," Haslett said, "NFL officials do a great job. I think [Carollo] and his staff have done a good job for the most part. I don't agree with the timing of the last call. Like in the NBA, when somebody is driving for a game-winner, they really don't call anything. I don't know if I agree with the call. But I think the timing of the call was improper and I don't think it was right. That's just me. I probably said some things in the heat of battle that I probably shouldn't have said."


http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...len&id=2197981


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