Atlanta Falcons fans step up in support of head coach over NFL fine

Atlanta Falcons HC Mike Smith, (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

In the wake of a sideline scuffle during Sunday's Atlanta Falcons victory over the Washington Redskins, Falcons fans are waging a campaign to show their support of their head coach. 

Coach Mike Smith (among many Atlanta players on their sideline), who was involved in a shouting and shoving match after a late hit on quarterback Matt Ryan, has been fined $15,000 by the NFL for his actions against Redskins cornerback, and former Atlanta Falcon, DeAngelo Hall. 

There's a movement that began on the team's official message board by a local fan named Hal Moore that is attempting to show the team's coach how much the fans appreciate what he has done to turn around a franchise that once was considered among the league's floundering teams.

Their goal: raise money in an attempt to pay Smith's fine.

Moore said Wednesday morning that they understand they cannot pay the fine for the coach; however they want to raise the money in hopes of donating it to the charity of Smith's choice.

"That's very nice to hear, but as I said before, I've put this thing behind me," Smith said Thursday. "It's been the last thing on my mind since Sunday afternoon. My whole focus has been on getting prepared and getting this team ready to play against the Carolina Panthers."

What started as an attempt to mirror the actions of the head coach, watching his back just as he always will for his players, has morphed into an all-out effort by the fans to show Smith exactly how much he is appreciated by the fan base.

"You have to understand that we as Falcons fans are in uncharted waters," Moore said. "We are on the verge of our first back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history. We have never had any sustained success. For the first time ever, we are serious contenders. It was Coach Smith and Thomas Dimitroff that brought the winning formula to our organization. There is no amount of money we could ever collect that would appropriately show our appreciation for what he has done here."

The long-time Falcons fan added, "If Mike Smith was going to jump in to protect his players, the least we could do is jump in to protect our coach."

Moore stated that he's asking fans to donate denominations ending in $.23 in honor of DeAngelo Hall's jersey number. The one-time Falcon wore out his welcome in Atlanta in 2007 when his repeated outbursts often cost the team in game situations, but stressed the fans' actions are more in support of their head coach than opposition to a disgruntled former player.

Smith and Hall were linked prior to the sideline meeting because it was Smith and General Manager Dimitroff who jettisoned Hall to Oakland for a second-round draft pick when they took over the team in early 2008.

A PayPal account was created on Wednesday morning for fans to donate to the "Pay Coach Smith's fine" cause. By noon, less than two hours after establishing the account, over $600 was raised. Moore said they were close to $1000 in pledges through the Atlanta Falcons message board when the idea began. On Thursday afternoon, the collection had exceeded $1,200. They also received donations of Falcons players' rookie cards and other memorabilia that are up for auction on eBay.

Following Sunday's game, Smith said he never knew who the involved players were, adding that he was only trying to keep order and avoid injuries on his sideline.

"I can’t tell you who was on that sideline," Atlanta's head coach said Sunday. "All I know is I was trying to get order restored over there before halftime.”

During his Monday press conference he maintained that he was trying to be the peacekeeper on his sideline, saying that he'd thought very little about the incident and was already focusing on his team's upcoming opponent, the Carolina Panthers.

Smith addressed the fine Thursday saying that he'd received a letter from the NFL and he intended to pay it but he didn't intend to dwell on the situation.

"I've moved on from it," Smith said Thursday following Atlanta's practice. "I moved on from it back on Sunday night when that play was over. I'm ready to get prepared for the Carolina Panthers. I just want to reiterate I'm going to always make sure I've got my players backs and I'm going to take care of them."

Moore is proud of what the fans have achieved in a short period of time. They hope to have a substantial donation for Smith, though they know it's unlikely they'll match the $15,000 fine the league has issued.

"It gives us a chance as Falcons fans to really show our appreciation for what Coach Smith means to us as fans, and it gives us a chance to directly connect with our team," Moore said.

Fans wishing to donate to the PayPal account by visiting here.

Additional questions can be direction to PayCoachSmithsFine@yahoo.com.

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