The NFL has fined New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs $10,000 for throwing his helmet into the stands in Indianapolis on Sunday night.
Now that’s an expensive temper tantrum.
In a fit of frustration watching his team suffer a 38-14 loss to the Colts, Jacobs tossed his helmet into the crowd behind the Giants’ bench. The fans that caught it then played a game of tug-of-war for the helmet, even refusing to give it to security guards who were asking to return it to Jacobs.
The running back apologized profusely following the incident, insisting he meant to throw it toward the bench, but it slipped on his glove upward into the stands.
“I want to apologize one more time for accidentally tossing my helmet in the stands,” Jacobs said in a statement issued by the team on Tuesday. “It was something that happened because I was frustrated with the game, and I had no business tossing my helmet in the first place, and I am thankful that nobody was hurt.
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and team owner Jerry Reese called a meeting with Jacobs on Monday, where they discussed the six-year veteran’s issues with controlling his emotions on the sidelines.
“The whole incident upsets me,” Coughlin said. “It really makes no sense, it is a senseless act. I don’t know what you are going to accomplish by that. The frustration, you got to learn to deal with it. You got to have poise and have some patience and have some control. The only reason I emphatically say that is God forbid somebody could have gotten hurt.”
Jacobs also addressed the trade rumors that have been buzzing ever since Ahmad Bradshaw earned the nod as the Giants starting running back. He told reporters that contrary to reports, he does not want to be traded from New York and he just wants to help the team win.
“I have not demanded a trade and have no plans to demand a trade,” Jacobs said, according to ESPN.com. “The only demand I am making right now is of myself, to be the best player I can be and to help this team win.”
