Bengals Coach Ordered to Pay Substantial Fine

Cincinnati Bengals Coach Sam Wyche was hit with a substantial fine by the NFL today for his failure to allow reporters into the team’s locker room after its loss to Seattle on Sunday.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, in a letter to Wyche, said the fine was assessed because Wyche went against league policy and said he wouldn’t rule out closing the locker room in the future.

The league’s media policy states that team locker rooms are to be opened after a brief waiting period, usually 5 to 7 minutes. But after Sunday’s 24-17 loss to the Seahawks, Wyche closed the locker room, saying he wanted to avoid having coaches and players face questions about officiating calls contested by the coach during the game.

The league declined to announce the amount of the fine.

“We’re fortunate the public is extremely interested in our teams and in the details of the game,” said Joe Browne, the NFL’s director of communications. “Our fans have a right to know how the players and coaches feel about events that occurred during our games.”

A statement issued by the Pro Football Writers of America said: “We are happy the league has reaffirmed how important it is for pro football to maintain an open relationship with its link to the public.”