The Atlanta Falcons received a harsh slap on the wrist for pumping in artificial crowd noise into the Georgia Dome. Not only were they fined $350,000, but also lost a fifth-round draft pick.
In addition, the NFL suspended team president Rich McKay from the Competition Committee for at least three months, starting on Wednesday. Considering that he is the chairman of the committee, that’s a big statement from the league.
The NFL’s investigation determined that Falcons director of event marketing Roddy White (no, not this Roddy White) was responsible for the extra noise. Troy Vincent, NFL EVP of Football Operations, said in a statement - posted at AJC.com - that White would have been suspended for the first eight games of the upcoming season without pay if he was still with the Falcons. If a team actually decides to hire him, he will still have to serve that suspension.
“What took place was wrong and nowhere near the standards by which we run our business,” Falcons owner Arthur Bank said 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 extra crowd noise didn’t really help the Falcons, who finished the 2014 season at 6-10.