NEW YORK (Jan. 5, 2006) -- Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora has been fined $25,000 by the NFL for using a cell phone on the sidelines during the team's overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Dec. 24.
Mora was fined under a rule adopted last March prohibiting the use of cell phones or any other form of communications by coaches or players on the field -- other than the regular phones used by teams to communicate between the sideline and press box.
That was a recommendation of the league's competition committee, the co-chairman of which is Rich McKay, Atlanta's general manager.
Two years ago, New Orleans' Joe Horn was fined $30,000 for using a cell phone after scoring a touchdown. The NFL said the fine against Mora had nothing to do with the rule under which Horn was fined.
Mora used the phone late in overtime of the game in an attempt to determine how a tie might affect his team's playoff chances.
After it happened, Horn said he believed Mora should be fined, just as he was.
"I want $30,000," said Horn. "I'm not trying to player-hate coach Mora, but it shouldn't be a double-standard league. A player gets fined, then a coach should get fined under any circumstances.
"Cell phones are prohibited in the NFL. So I think coach Mora should be fined $30,000 like I was."
