Gangland: NFL

According to the Los Angeles Times, the NFL has hired experts to study game in order to determine if players are using gang signs in their celebrations.

“There have been some suspected things we’ve seen,” said Milt Ahlerich, the league’s vice president of security, according to the Times’ report. “When we see it, we quietly jump on it immediately, directly with the team and the player or employee involved to cease and desist. Period.”

More recently, Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce was fined during the NBA playoffs for making “menacing gestures” towards the Hawks’ bench during a game. Immediately following the incident Paul Pierce was quoted as saying, “I 100 percent do not in any way promote gang violence or anything close to it. I am sorry if it was misinterpreted that way.”

Mike Pereira, the NFL’s vice president of officiating says that the NFL has been concerned about the possibility of gang signs being used. “But the Paul Pierce thing is what brought it to light. When he was fined … that’s when we said we need to take a look at it and see if we need to be aware of it.”

~ by Moby on July 18, 2008.