Chris Chase of Yahoo! Sports summed up this incident perfectly in relation to the Alosi “Tripegate” scandal:

The fine was issued on Friday but was not made public.

It wasn’t made public? Are the league offices turning into the Nixon White House? If there was every any doubt that the league is more interested in the perception of caring about player safety rather than the practice of it, this is it. The NFL made a big to-do about Sal Alosi and issued him a harsh punishment befitting that outrage. Brayton does something that’s much worse and much more dirty (he ran over to play and threw an elbow) and the league tries a Friday news dump and issues a nominal fine?

Brayton was forced to pay $15,000 from his $2.2 million salary, while Alosi earned a suspension for the rest of the season and a $25,000 fine. And he makes a normal salary as a strength and conditioning coach, not the millions Brayton does. That’s pure and utter hypocrisy. (Throw in the fact that Brayton has a past history of dirty play and it’s even worse. In 2006 he was fined $25,000 for kneeing another player in the groin.)

While the league is cracking down on helmet-to-helmet hits, it might want to look into the safety of gunners because apparently the sidelines are being treated like a damn MMA octagon. Furthermore, the league should look into it’s fine structure because it’s a travesty that Ndamukong Suh was fined $15,000 for his shove of Jay Cutler and Brayton was fined the same amount for purposely laying a forearm shiver to Chris Owens on the sidelines. What a joke.

The Jets are saying that Sal Alosi acted alone last Sunday when he instructed inactive players to line up along the sideline and form a human wall when Miami’s Nolan Carroll was running down field covering a punt. Alosi admitted that he acted alone as well.

But something still doesn’t add up here. Why would Alosi, a strength and conditioning coach in charge of helping players avoid injuries on Sunday, be a ringleader of something like this? Where’s the benefit? Why would he risk his career to do something so stupid?

Something tells me we’re not getting the whole truth here. The Jets say that Rex Ryan doesn’t coach his assistants to form human walls on the sidelines and maybe he doesn’t. But unless Alosi’s brain is the size of a walnut, I don’t see a strength and conditioning coach risking their job to do something like this.

If Alosi did act alone, why haven’t the Jets fired him yet? I could see suspending and fining him if he had a brain fart and tripped Carroll in the spur of the moment. But if what the Jets are saying is true and Alosi actually masterminded this charade, then what’s the point in keeping him on staff? If Ryan doesn’t “coach that way” and neither do any of his top assistants (i.e. special teams coach Mike Westhoff), then why not drop this guy like a bad habit? I’m sure the New York freaking Jets can pick up the phone and have a new strength and conditioning coach hired in 25 minutes. So why retain Alosi?

I’d be interested to see if they eventually fire him. I don’t want to see anyone lose their job but if Alosi is as dumb as he seems to be, then can him and get somebody who won’t embarrass the entire organization. It’s not like he made one mistake. A mistake would have been tripping Carroll because you got caught up in prank. But this was premeditated, which tells me either Alosi was instructed by a higher up to carry out this plan or he truly acted alone and therefore, shouldn’t keep his job. After all, I wouldn’t want my players being trained by someone as classless as this.

Television cameras caught Jets’ strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi purposely tripping Dolphins’ gunner Nolan Carroll along the sidelines during a punt in New York’s 10-6 loss on Sunday.

And depending on whom you ask, the cameras also caught how Alosi and several members of the Jets had intentionally lined up to interfere with Carroll before Alosi stuck his knee out.

One person who thought the act was staged is former Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas, who told a Miami radio station on Tuesday that there’s evidence to suggest the Alosi didn’t act alone (that there was, in fact, a second kneeman).

From ESPN.com:

“They had to be ordered to stand there because they’re foot to foot,” Thomas said Tuesday on Miami radio station WQAM. “There’s four of them, side to side — five of them, I mean — on the edge of the coach’s zone. They’re only out there to restrict the space of the gunner.

“But there’s more to it because I’m telling you, the only thing [Alosi] did wrong was intentionally put that knee out there. If he just stood there, there would never have been a problem, even if the guy got tripped. But there’s more to this. He was ordered to stand there. No one is foot to foot on the sideline in the coach’s box.”

Actually, it was a six-man line, starting with Alosi and defensive lineman Marcus Dixon (inactive). It’s believed the other four also were inactive players. They were in a tight formation, almost like soccer players preparing to defend a direct kick. Their toes were right up against the boundary, with Alosi positioned in the corner of the coaches’ box.

Coincidence? When Carroll approached at full speed, not one of them flinched, suggesting it was a show of force that appeared to be orchestrated. Alosi and Jets officials denied that, claiming they don’t coach that tactic — an unsavory technique that is semi-prevalent around the league.

A close examination of the TV replay shows that Dixon was leaning in with his left shoulder, perhaps preparing for contact as well.
“Something is fishy,” said an opposing personnel executive, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The executive said the Jets have shown a penchant in recent weeks for using sideline personnel as a deterrent to gunners — players sprinting the sideline in an attempt to get to the returner quickly — adding that the Jets’ sideline is conspicuously clear when their team is doing the punting.

I’m sure the Jets aren’t the only ones to have ever employed this technique because after all, they had to have gotten it from somewhere. But how dirty can you get? And not only that, but how stupid?

What would have happened had Carroll blown out his knee and was unable to play again? Was it worth it to Alosi and his band of clowns to possibly end a player’s career just so they could cheat on a punt return? I get that the Jets can’t win on their own right now, but this is low – especially if the act was premeditated.

I wonder when it’ll come out that Rex Ryan or someone on the Jets’ coaching staff told Alosi and the rest of the inactive players to set up a wall. Alosi is obviously an idiot for thinking he could do something like that and not have one of the 600 cameras in the stadium catch him, but I doubt he acted alone. Someone on that coaching staff must have told him what to do.

For once, it would be nice if a member of the AFC East not tried to video tape their opponent’s practice or trip a player as he’s running down field to cover a punt.

This is the second installment of my new column: “I’m Just Saying.” Peter King has a column (Monday Morning Quarterback), so it only makes sense that a well-respected sports blogger like myself has a column as well.

What-ev.

– So let me get this straight, the NFL moved the Giants-Vikings game to a NFC North city and is handing out free tickets? If I’m the Vikings, I’m pissed. Nice home game for Minnesota – think any Lion fans will get sauced up and attend the game for free just to root against the Vikings?

– Of course, if the roof of the Metrodome weren’t made of paper mache, the Vikings wouldn’t have to worry about playing at Ford Field.

– Does anyone else find it ironic that Sal Alosi’s job as the Jets’ head strength and conditioning coach is to help players get in shape and avoid injuries and he goes out and trips a Dolphins player…who gets injured? You stay classy, Sal Alosi.

– I’m willing to bet that if the Patriots played all of their games in a blizzard, they would be 19-0 and will have beaten their opponents by a combined score of 855-17.

– The Titans’ backdoor cover against the Colts on Thursday night was one of the worst backdoor covers in the history of backdoor covers. First of all, Indy was up 21-0 in the first half. So what should have been a blowout actually turned into a decent game because their defense is made of Charmin extra soft tissue paper. After they allowed Tennessee to crawl back in the second half, Peyton Manning had not one, but two chances to waste the clock and move the ball and he did neither. Then, with the Colts up by 10 in the final minutes of the game (they were favored by 3), Jeff Fisher trots out Rob Bironas for a field goal attempt but calls him back instead. He decides to put his offense back onto the field and Kerry Collins marches the Titans up the field for a touchdown on the final play of the game (a 4th down no less) and covers the spread. If Fisher were actually trying to win the game, he would have kicked the field goal and tried an onsides kick (he needed 10 points, after all). But because he was trying to screw bettors (which is the only logical explanation here), he decided to go for the touchdown and run the clock down to zero in the process. Final score: Colts 30, Titans 28. Thanks, Jeff.

– Speaking of Fisher and the Titans, I loved his explanation after the game as to why Randy Moss didn’t play much (because Moss and Kenny Britt play the same position). I’m sorry, is he running the triple option? Can you not have Randy Moss and Kenny Britt on the field at the same time? Nice coaching.

– I firmly believe that if Cleveland fans had to make a choice between watching Derek Anderson quarterback their team or Jake Delhomme, they’d opt for c) the sweet release of death.

– I’m a little confused by Mike McCarthy’s game plan in Detroit on Sunday. The Lions’ weakness is clearly their defensive backfield and the Packers’ strength is clearly their passing game. So why McCarthy decided to establish the run is beyond me. What’s worse is that the Packers stuck with the run when it wasn’t working. What, did you think you were going to pull a fast one on the Lions, Mike?

– From now on, the Detroit Lions defense will be known only as Ndamukong Suh. “Man, the Ndamukong Suh is playing lights out today.”

– I would write something about the Redskins’ botched extra point but that would be too easy. To watch that catastrophe live was punishment enough for Mike Shanahan and Co.

– I’m starting to think that Jimmy Clausen flat out enjoys being hit. Because there’s no way a quarterback has that little pocket presence.

– The Raiders-Jaguars contest was the most entertaining game of the day and absolutely nobody outside of Jacksonville saw it.

– Sam Bradford ran down Saints’ safety Roman Harper in the open field after Harper scooped up an apparent fumble recovery (the play was overturned because the runner was down) and started racing down field. I don’t know whether to laud Bradford for one of the best hustle plays of the year or criticize Harper for actually being run down by a freaking quarterback.

– With their 40-21 shellacking of the Seahawks on Sunday, the 5-8 49ers are now one game out of first place in the NFC West. If the Giants, Packers or Bucs don’t make the playoffs and a 7-9 NFC West team does, then the NFL should fold up shop for good.

– What time does the Patriots-Bears game start?

– Only the Packers-Lions debacle could hold a candle to the crap football that went at the New Meadowlands. Watching Mark Sanchez and Chad Henne try to move their offenses is like watching a drunk try to start a car with his house key.

– Who would have thought that at the beginning of the year that pundits would be saying, “Man, the Chiefs really need Matt Cassel to come back soon – he’s the key to their playoff hopes.”

– I’m starting to feel the hits Michael Vick is absorbing from my couch.

– Hopefully Kyle Orton still has Josh McDaniels’ number saved in his phone because they’ll both be looking for work soon.

I’m Just Saying…

This has to be one of the most unprofessional and classless moves I’ve seen in the NFL. This moron is the head strength and conditioning coach for a professional football team and he decides to sideswipe an unsuspecting player, who gets hurt in the process. So in essence, he helps the players avoid injuries throughout the week and then injuries an opposing player come Sundays. Well done, jackass.

Since the incident, Sal Alosi has issued an apology (from ESPN.com):

“I made a mistake that showed a total lapse in judgment,” Alosi said in a statement. “My conduct was inexcusable and unsportsmanlike and does not reflect what this organization stands for. I spoke to Coach [Tony] Sparano and Nolan Carroll to apologize before they took off. I have also apologized to Woody [Johnson], Mike [Tannenbaum] and Rex [Ryan]. I accept responsibility for my actions as well as any punishment that follows.”

Thanks to Mark Sanchez and the rest of the Jets’ offense being just as embarrassing as Alosi’s decision-making, the Dolphins got the last laugh in the end. With their 10-6 win, they handed the Jets their second-straight loss and are now back above .500. It’s a long-shot, but Miami could still make the playoffs if they win out. They host the Lions and Bills over the next two weeks before going on the road to play the Patriots in Week 17. If New England has the top spot in the NFC wrapped up by then, they may rest starters and Miami could get a cheap win (just as the Jets did last year when they beat the Bengals’ backups in Week 17).

It’s not unrealistic to think the Dolphins couldn’t finish 10-6 and make the playoffs.

Here are a six-pack of observations on whatever the Dolphins and Jets are calling that thing they did at the New Meadowlands on Sunday. I hesitate to call it a game.

1. Mark Sanchez is awful again.
Leave it to Mark Sanchez to prove doubters wrong for most of the season, only to revert back to his 2009 form for the stretch run. He completed just 17-of-44 passes for 216 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in an ugly 10-6 loss. This of course follows his 17-of-33 performance on Monday night against the Patriots. His 38.6 QB rating against the Dolphins was a season-worst and coach Rex Ryan even revealed in his postgame press conference that he nearly benched the second-year quarterback. Sanchez hasn’t completed 60 percent of his passes in over a month and also has five turnovers compared to no touchdowns in his last two games. He has shown zero confidence the past two games and he’s back to diving in and out of the pocket as soon as he senses pressure. In his defense, Santonio Holmes did drop a touchdown pass (with no defenders around him) early in the game, although that’s still no excuse for Sanchez to play as poorly as he did. The problem for Ryan is that Mark Brunell and Kellen Clemens aren’t any better, so the Jets will have to ride the Sanchez train out and hope he can find whatever magic he had earlier in the season.

2. Jets’ strength coach Sal Alosi should be ashamed of himself.
In what can only be described as a classless move, TV replays showed Jets’ head strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi stick his knee out to intentionally trip Dolphins’ gunner Nolan Carroll as he was streaking down the field to cover a punt in the third quarter. Caroll fell to the turf with an apparent knee injury and Miami trainers tended to him after he limped off the field under his own power. Alosi was fortunate that Carroll wasn’t seriously hurt. He could have ended the rookie’s season and for what? To be a jackass on the sidelines? What good could have possibly come out of purposely tripping an opponent? The Jets should review the situation and take immediate action. And if they don’t fire the moron, he at least should issue an apology to Carroll and the entire Dolphins team. What a stupid, stupid decision and how embarrassing for the Alosi and the Jets. This is the last thing Ryan needs to deal with after two straight losses.

3. The Dolphins should give a game ball to punter Brandon Fields.
Only the Packers-Lions catastrophe in Detroit earlier in the day could match how bad this game was. Both defenses played well, but it’s hard to wax poetically about them given how pathetic the offenses were. If it weren’t for a brutal Mark Sanchez and an outstanding Brandon Fields, Miami might not have won. The Dolphins failed to move the ball on a routine basis, but Fields ensured that the Jets faced longed drives all game. He averaged an outstanding 56.4 yards per punt and had a long of 69 yards. That’s about all I can say on a punter, but if you watched even a fraction of this game you know how important he was.

4. Missed opportunities kill Jets.
The Jets’ defense made three huge plays that should have turned the momentum of this game on its head. Calvin Pace stripped Chad Henne in the second quarter to set his offense up in Miami territory, but the Jets wound up settling for a field goal because Holmes dropped one of the easiest touchdowns you’ll ever see. Jason Taylor also recovered a fumble at the 50 after the Dolphins had drove into field goal range, but the Jets got zero points out of it. Finally, Brodney Pool nabbed a botched Henne play that set New York up at its 42-yard line but again, the Jets got no points. Good teams take advantage of golden scoring opportunities.

5. The Jets could feasibly finish 9-7.
Losers of two straight, the Jets now go on the road to Pittsburgh and Chicago before wrapping up the season against the Bills at home. Even after the Bears’ pathetic effort against the Patriots on Sunday, they’re still tough to beat at home. And if Sanchez continues to play as poorly as he has the past two weeks, a win over the Bills in Week 17 isn’t a guarantee either. At 9-4, the Jets are still in great shape to make the playoffs but for the second straight year, they could be limping into the postseason. Granted, they made the AFC Championship Game last year despite backing into the playoffs, but while the Patriots are peaking at the right time the Jets are crashing and burning.

6. The Dolphins’ playoff hopes are still alive.
Conversely to observation No. 4, the Dolphins are still very much alive for the postseason. They host the Bills and Lions the next two weeks (two very winnable games) before traveling to New England to play the Patriots in the season finale. Granted, nobody wants to play the Patriots on the road but by that time, New England may have wrapped up the top seed in the AFC and could play their backups in the second half. A 10-6 season is still very much in reach, although Chad Henne has to get better or else a 7-9 finish is possible as well. He can’t continue to play this badly if they want to have a shot at the postseason.