Goodell Fines Titans Owner $250,000 for Gesture

The NFL has fined Titans owner Bud Adams $250,000 for making an obscene gesture at Buffalo fans while celebrating Tennessee's victory over the Bills.

FILE - This is an Aug. 15, 2009, file photo showing Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams before the...

FILE - This is an Aug. 15, 2009, file photo showing Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams before the start of an NFL preseason football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Nashville, Tenn. The NFL is looking into reports Tennessee owner Bud Adams made an obscene hand gesture from his luxury suite and from the field while celebrating his Titans' 41-17 win over Buffalo, Sunday Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, fILE)

(AP)

Commissioner Roger Goodell notified Adams of the fine Monday, and league spokesman Greg Aiello said it is for conduct detrimental to the NFL. Adams was seen making the gesture while in his luxury suite and again on the field after Sunday's 41-17 victory.

The 86-year-old Adams issued an apology a couple of hours later, saying he got caught up in the excitement of the moment.

Goodell was at the game, after having breakfast with Adams. The league said that Goodell left Adams' suite at the end of the third quarter and spent the fourth quarter sitting with fans in the end zone before leaving the stadium.

The Titans declined to comment after the fine was issued. But Adams said in his earlier statement that he expected league discipline for his actions and would accept any punishment.

"I do realize that those types of things shouldn't happen," Adams said in that statement. "I need to specifically apologize to the Bills, their fans, our fans and the NFL. I obviously have a great deal of respect for Ralph Wilson and the history we have shared."

The NFL fined former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo $1 million after he pleaded guilty to a felony and suspended him for the 1999 season.

Since then, the biggest fine handed down by the NFL to an individual was $500,000 to New England coach Bill Belichick for the Spygate scandal. The league also fined the New York Jets and former coach Eric Mangini $125,000 in September for violating its rules on injury reporting with Brett Favre last season.

Adams and Wilson were original owners in the American Football League, and Sunday's matchup was a legacy game with both teams wearing throwback uniforms. Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, and the two franchises have been involved in some emotional playoff games.