ALAMEDA – Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver apologized on Monday afternoon for giving the middle finger to officials during Sunday’s 21-18 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The gesture was televised on the game broadcast. Tarver was also shown swearing at officials.
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“I apologize for my action on the sideline of yesterday’s game,” Tarver said in a statement released by the team. “It was in the heat of the moment, and I regret drawing attention away from the Raiders players and what they accomplished.”
A team spokesman said the Raiders will handle any punitive action internally. Then Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Chuck Cecil was fined $40,000 in 2010 for making a similar gesture, although Cecil's was far more overt.
Raiders coach Dennis Allen didn't condone Tarver's actions, but he wasn't overly critical of them.
"It's not one of those things where you can just say, 'Let's forget about it,'" Allen said. "He released a statement about what happened. The only thing I'll say is this: He's done an outstanding job with this defense. He's a fiery and emotional guy, and I think our players have really taken to that. I think they've embraced that type of attitude. He has our defense playing at a high level right now."
