MIAMI — When word of Rex Ryan’s one-finger salute to a group of Dolphins fans at Saturday night’s Mixed Martial Arts event got to his players who were here for the Pro Bowl, there was little shock among them, knowing their head coach’s passion.
“I’m not surprised,” said Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis, who seemed amused. “He’s one of those guys who if you come at me, I’m coming at you. It was all in fun. They were probably yelling and talking stuff at him and it ticked him off. Fans can be like that.”
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Cornerback Darrelle Revis said he just heard about the incident after he came off the field after the Pro Bowl.
“The only thing I’ve got to say about that is we’re human, coaches and players, we’re human and we have feelings,” Revis said. “We get angry just like the next person. I wouldn’t say it was the right thing to do, but he apologized and that was the right thing to do — apologize and move forward.”
Left guard Alan Faneca said he saw the pictures on the Internet, but wasn’t fazed or disappointed.
“Man, I love Rex,” Faneca said. “Rex can be who he is and it doesn’t matter to me. That’s the way are. That’s the face that Woody [Johnson, the team owner] chose, so that’s the face we go with.”
“I like my coach a lot,” left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson said. “He’s very passionate and he’s definitely going to express his feelings.”