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Coughlin to investigate punter/coach spat
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin will meet with punter Steve Weatherford and special teams coordinator Tom Quinn following a dust-up between the two men Sunday that was captured by television cameras.
The incident happened in the third quarter after Weatherford’s second punt of the game, which he sent down the middle of the field. The ball bounced into the end zone for a touchback.
Quinn was seen yelling at Weatherford as the punter came to the sideline, Weatherford waving his hand at Quinn as he tried to walk away. Quinn then put his hand on Weatherford to stop him from walking away. Weatherford angrily swatted the coach’s hand away.
“I didn’t see it,” Coughlin said of the incident. “I’ve seen Steve talk about it and I’ve been told about the comments he made.”
Weatherford, in his postgame comments, chalked up the incident to the heat of the moment, telling NJ.com that similar altercations occurred previously.
“It has happened with a lot of guys on the team,” Weatherford said. “It just so happens you caught it on tape. There is no dissension or ill will or anything on either side.”
Coughlin also downplayed the incident, the first of its kind in his regime where a coach put his hands on a player during a heated moment.
“It’s unfortunate, sometimes it happens in the highly competitive business with individuals who are highly competitive,” he said. “I don’t see any issue with that today. I certainly would not have like to have it happen or would not like to have it extend any further from my understanding, and I’m sure it will be corrected.”
Just to make sure it is, Coughlin plans to nip any ill feelings in the bud.
“I’ll be glad to talk to both of them about it, but that will be private and will remain that way,” he said. “I’m interested in all things running as smoothly as possible, and I don’t encourage anything of that nature.”
–Coughlin reiterated that he was not pleased with safety Antrel Rolle or cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for drawing an unsportsmanlike penalty in the end zone following Rodgers-Cromartie’s 36-yard interception return for a touchdown that was nullified by an unnecessary roughness call against defensive end Damontre Moore.
“I don’t appreciate that,” Coughlin said of the penalty that came when Rolle, a defensive co-captain, joined Rodgers-Cromartie in the end zone to ham it up after Rodgers-Cromartie broke the plane.
“I think what we talk about is team; we don’t talk about individuals. We talk about a team accomplishment, and I didn’t like what it represented.”
After the game, Rolle tried to shrug off his poor judgment.
“It is what it is,” he said. “We got caught up in the moment. A teammate made a play and we celebrate. We celebrate as a team.”
They apparently will be hearing from their displeased head coach in the coming days.
“I will speak to the players that were involved in that,” Coughlin said.
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