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Jets coach Ryan $50K for making obscene gesture at a fan

NEW YORK -- The Jets fined coach Rex Ryan $50,000 on Tuesday for making an obscene gesture at a mixed martial arts event last weekend.

The team's decision came after a smiling Ryan was caught on a cell-phone camera flipping his middle finger at a fan during the competition in Sunrise, Fla., on Saturday night. The image of Ryan quickly spread across the Internet and made its way onto the back pages of New York tabloids.

Ryan apologized the next day, calling his actions "stupid and inappropriate."

"I wouldn't accept that type of behavior from one of the coaches or players, and it's unacceptable from me," he said in a statement.

Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum had said the organization was disappointed and would internally address the matter.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed to The Associated Press in an e-mail Wednesday that Ryan wouldn't face additional discipline from the league. The NFL looked into the incident to determine if Ryan violated its personal-conduct policy but was satisfied with the discipline handed down by the Jets.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fined Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams $250,000 for making an obscene gesture to fans in November, but that was during a game.

Ryan led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game in his first year as an NFL head coach. He made headlines throughout the season with his confident statements, including saying the Jets should be the favorite to win the Super Bowl when the playoffs began.

When he was hired by the Jets last year, Ryan boldly declared that they would meet the president someday as Super Bowl champions. Ryan added that he didn't come to New York to kiss New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick's championship rings.

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Ryan also had a playful feud with Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder, saying he had walked over tougher guys while going to fights. That made Ryan a likely target of booing fans during a television interview at the MMA event at Bank Atlantic Center, home of the NHL's Florida Panthers.

"I want to just tell everybody in Miami, 'Hey, we're coming to beat you twice next year,'" Ryan said during the ringside interview.

The Dolphins beat the Jets in both meetings this season.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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