NFL

No excuses for Rex’s gesture

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — There is no excuse for this kind of behavior from a player, much less an NFL head coach — the Jets’ Rex Ryan flipping the bird to a Dolphins fan and his friends at a Strikeforce Mixed Martial Arts event Saturday night in Miami.

Even if he was joking, even if he was provoked, Rexxx-Rated deserves to be lighter in the wallet once NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell gets through with him.

In one flip of the middle finger, the rookie coach of the Jets went from loveable rogue to Super Boor, and Woody Johnson apparently reminded Rexxx-Rated that he better set a better example, especially for Jets fans moving to the new stadium much lighter in their wallets thanks to PSLs.

RYAN GIVES DOLPHINS FANS THE MIDDLE FINGER

Of course, Rexxx-Rated’s father was Buddy Ryan, who once punched his colleague and offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride in the kisser on the sidelines, so the apple must not fall far from the tree.

This, however, is a rotten apple, and the kind of Super Bowl blunder that had Rexxx-Rated and the Jets in swift damage control mode yesterday.

“It was stupid and inappropriate,” Rexxx-Rated said in a statement. “I wouldn’t accept that type of behavior from one of the coaches or players and it’s unacceptable from me. I apologize to the Jets organization, the National Football League and NFL fans everywhere.”

Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum: “Rex showed extremely poor judgment and his conduct was inappropriate. He knows he was wrong, has apologized and we have accepted his apology. Any other actions regarding this incident will be addressed internally by the organization.”

The Titans’ 86-year-old owner, Bud Adams, was fined a whopping $250,000 for extending both middle fingers at Buffalo Bills fans while celebrating a November victory. “I need to specifically apologize to the Bills, their fans, our fans and the NFL,” Adams finally said.

Rexxx-Rated should have specified one David Hildenbrand — the fan who captured Ryan’s bird-flipping on his camera — and all Dolphins fans in his apology.

Ryan all season implored his players to Play Like A Jet — with pride and passion and unity and tenacity and every other professional attribute you can think of.

Act Like A Jet is a good idea as well.

Richard Todd once gave the Shea Stadium boobirds the finger, and they never really forgave him. Yankees pitcher Jack McDowell gave Yankee Stadium fans the same treatment walking off the mound. The fact that Rexxx-Rated didn’t flip the bird to his own fan base is irrelevant. In this day and age, when any and every public display can readily be captured via camera phone, it is imperative that a figure in a position of authority acts responsibly at all times.

Just the other day, Rexxx-Rated was on the NFL Network set, saying: “People are going to either love us or hate us, but they will respect us.”

Holding up your middle finger with a bleep-eating grin on your face is a good way to become both hated and disrespected.

Rexxx-Rated Ryan’s bravado and bluster was a welcome change following the paranoia that existed under Eric Mangini, and Jets fans almost hyperventilated when they heard their fearless new leader announce that he hadn’t taken the job to kiss Bill Belichick’s Super Bowl rings. He charmed the masses when he kidded that he had had tripped over tougher guys than Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder on his way to a fight. But this does more harm than charm.

“I’d like to thank everybody here in Miami. I know they love me,” Ryan joked at the MMA event. “I want to just tell everybody in Miami, ‘Hey, we’re coming to beat you twice next year.’ ”

Ryan is a tough football man and a tough football coach, and Jets fans are thrilled that he is the man in charge of leading their team back. But this was clearly not the appropriate time or place to be a tough guy.

He is hardly the first, nor will he be the last, athlete or public figure to embarrass himself or his organization.

Former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, before we knew about his dog-fighting enterprise, gave fans at the Georgia Dome a double-barreled flip job, then apologized. Mike Ditka was caught middle-finger handed. The league fined him $10,000. NBA players whose actions have been for the birds include: Allen Iverson ($10,000 fine); Bonzi Wells; Ron Artest; Brad Miller.

Perhaps it all started when Nelson Rockefeller was seen giving hecklers the finger at the 1976 Republican National Convention. While he was Governor of Texas, George W. Bush flipped off the camera before delivering an address. “Just a one-fingered victory salute,” Bush said, and laughed.

We have come to expect the unexpected from Rexxx-Rated: crying at a team meeting, then poking fun at himself two days later by trotting out the Kleenex. When he hears from the Commissioner, he’ll be crying again.

steve.serby@nypost.com