NFL Fines 10 Cowboys, 7 Eagles for Thanksgiving Fight

Ten players from Dallas and seven from Philadelphia were fined by the NFL for fighting in a Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas that sparked accusations Eagle Coach Buddy Ryan had put bounties on certain Cowboys.

The fines against the Cowboys totaled $6,500. Guard Nate Newton received the stiffest fine, $1,500, for coming to the aid of Troy Aikman when Eagle linebacker Britt Hager threw the quarterback down after a play had been whistled dead.

After the game, won by the Eagles, 27-0, Cowboy Coach Jimmy Johnson said Ryan had offered rewards if one of his players could level either Aikman or kicker Luis Zendejas.

The league said Dec. 8 that its investigation had found no evidence of any such bounties.

Other Cowboys fined were Kevin Gogan, Tom Rafferty, Daryl Johnston, Ken Norton, Cornell Burbage, James Dixon, Crawford Ker, Mark Tuinei and Junior Tautalatasi. Gogan was fined $1,000, the others $500 each.

The Eagles would not release the names of those fined.

But a source close to the club, who asked not to be identified, said they included all four on the defensive front--tackles Mike Pitts and Jerome Brown, and ends Clyde Simmons and Reggie White--as well as Anthony Toney, Eric Allen and Hager.