Update: Ray Hamilton’s response to Mike Smith’s apology
Falcons coach Mike Smith during Sunday's heated game. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Falcons coach Mike Smith today expressed remorse for his actions on the sideline near the end of his team’s breathless victory over Carolina on Sunday and said he has apologized to defensive line coach Ray Hamilton.
“It was something that happened in the heat of battle,” Smith said, speaking by phone from team headquarters in Flowery Branch.
Of Hamilton, Smith said: “Ray and I have worked together for 10 years [including five when the two were assistants in Jacksonville]; he’s one of my closest friends in coaching … I apologized to him this morning. I said, ‘I’m very sorry about my action. I’m very sorry about what happened last night.’ ”
Said Hamilton, also via phone: “Mike mentioned it to me this morning. I didn’t even realize anything had happened. I didn’t give it a second thought until somebody called me and asked about it this morning.”
Of Smith’s apology, Hamilton said: “His apology is fine. I’ve been coaching 27 years. On the sideline, all kinds of shoving goes on. You’d be amazed at the stuff that gets said down there. But there’s nothing ever disrespectful. Smitty’s a first-class guy.”
Matt Bryant’s field goal had given the Falcons a 30-28 lead with five seconds remaining, but they still had to defend one last play. After a touchback on the kickoff, Carolina took possession at its 20. Smith saw that the Falcons had only 10 players on the field — he would not identify the missing man — and was less than pleased.
Said Smith: “We were trying to finish the game. We were trying to get the right personnel. We didn’t have the right number of players.”
Fox cameras caught an angry Smith putting both hands on Hamilton’s arm and administering a slight shove. Said Smith: “I was on a tirade — that’s all. I did not push him. I was on a tirade and I threw my hands.”
Thinking quickly, Smith signaled for a timeout before Carolina could snap the ball, knowing full well the Falcons had used their final allotted timeout just after the two-minute warning. He also knew that NFL rules don’t levy a penalty when a team tries to call a timeout it doesn’t have.
The Falcons were able to send an 11th defender into the game while the officials were telling Smith he couldn’t have a timeout, which was his intention all along. “I was trying to get 11 guys on the field,” he said. “We didn’t have 11 guys.”
Mission accomplished. John Abraham sacked Cam Newton on the final play and the Falcons left with one of their most stirring victories in Smith’s four-plus seasons as head coach. In Smith’s mind, however, his tactical coup did not excuse the anger he expressed toward Hamilton.
“Sideline etiquette is important,” Smith said. “I’ve got to be 100 percent. I wasn’t 100 percent.”
For the record, Smith’s 2012 team holds a winning percentage of 1.000. The Falcons are 4-0. And with Sunday’s victory, Smith (47-21) passed Leeman Bennett (46-41) as the second-winningest coach in franchise history. Dan Reeves (49-59-1) ranks first.
By Mark Bradley
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290 comments Add your comment
Greg M
October 1st, 2012
11:45 pm
We need another Falcon to get arrested. Turner -DUI- Falcons win, Abraham-Obstruction-Falcons win, Buchannon-DUI-Falcons ????????
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 1st, 2012
11:57 pm
No wonder you CLOWNS have never won anything past the regular season…
HA HA
Blake
October 1st, 2012
11:59 pm
@Matt “CHOKE” Ryan…..Smitty showed class when He apologized…..you are still finding fault wherever you can find It….You are classless…..You owe Smitty,The team and for that matter the whole city of Atlanta an apology for your nonsense and your hate spewing….you need to follow Smitty’s lead…Do you think If you spew enough hate that you can will them to lose? What Is the logic behind that?
DR. FALCON
October 2nd, 2012
12:17 am
WHO CARES, COACH! RAY HAMILTON SI NOT TRIPPING! HE PLAYED THE GAME! SH@#T HAPPENS, DURING THE HEAT OF BATTLE IN AN NFL GAME! DO YOU THINK DITKA, LOMBARDI, BUDDY RYAN, AND SOME OTHER VOLATILE COACHES, APOLOGIZED FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS ON THEIR SIDELINE, DURING A GAME? ESPECIALLY DITKA! DAMN! GLAD TO SEE YOU HAVE SOME SERIOUS EMOTION, SMITTY!!! GO FALCONS!!
Olde Fan
October 2nd, 2012
1:54 am
Good Grief. This is Football. If you can’t take the emotion and the physical contact this game calls for, pick up your damned remote control and click over to Lifetime Movie of the Week. All this “apologize” crap is ridiculous. My boss would have fired the assistant, not shoved him. We got the win. Not all wins are pretty. If it offends you, again, Lifetime Movie is waiting for you on another channel. This was the best game of the weekend. It wasn’t perfect, but WE WON. Lord, people – leave the Bulls*** * for the cows, and be happy!
I wonder
October 2nd, 2012
5:44 am
LOL @ OnMyWay the only person on these boards to try and take p for poor Meangelo Hall being picked on by Mike Smith please go get on another forum where you know what your talking about I hear the Barney chat is doing a friendship circle this morning
I wonder
October 2nd, 2012
5:46 am
From Espn’s Article
http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/52433/punting-was-wrong-choice-for-panthers
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no other team in the past 20 years has conducted a game-winning drive starting inside their own 5 with less than one minute to play.
Choke on that
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October 2nd, 2012
7:22 am
[...] Mike Smith apologizes for late-game tirade [...]
Whadda Ya Know?
October 2nd, 2012
7:45 am
“John Abraham sacked Cam Newton on the final play…” Mark I think you meant, “John Abraham stripped Cam Newton of the ball on the final play…”. He didn’t sack Cam. Just want you to get it right sir.
Mark Bradley
October 2nd, 2012
8:39 am
Abraham did sack Newton on the final play of the game. Abraham had stripped Newton ofnthe ball on third down the series before.
Just want you to get it right, sir.
Esquire
October 2nd, 2012
9:01 am
St Simons
October 1st, 2012
11:50 am
I was disappointed, but this is Ray’s call – is he alright wit it
***********************************************************************
Of course he’s alright wit it, job security.
I wonder
October 2nd, 2012
9:24 am
Lol I was just watching that on dvr and was going to say the same thing Sack to cap it off what a game
Ivan
October 2nd, 2012
9:37 am
“According to the Elias Sports Bureau, no other team in the past 20 years has conducted a game-winning drive starting inside their own 5 with less than one minute to play.”
wow. Thanks for that link. The article constantly reinforces the decision to go for it on 4th and 1, but that last little bit, makes it seem like he made the perfect call.
No team in 20 years has conducted a game-winning drive starting inside their own 5 (at our 1) with less than one minute to play…??
No problem. We have a Matt Ryan.
Just Asking?
October 2nd, 2012
9:51 am
It’s a joke to say Dan Reeves ranks first in anything but losses!
Jeremiah Wright
October 2nd, 2012
10:01 am
Reeves took us to the Super-Bowl. (Too bad Eugene screwed things up.)
BillyBob
October 2nd, 2012
12:29 pm
Great to see real men handle this like men, and not like boys. LOVE to see passion on the sidelines, but real men keep their passion focused on defeating the enemy. Smith crossed the line and he knew it, that’s why he apologized like a man. Hamilton “didn’t give it a second thought” which shows he is too focused on the right thing (winning) to get caught up in a “that mean guy hurt my feelings” mindset. Way to go both of you!
Rabid Bird
October 2nd, 2012
12:54 pm
Heck Mike Smith can haul off and slap me silly as long as he keeps the team winning.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 2nd, 2012
1:12 pm
TRIVIA TIME
#1
Clue: They beat Baltimore, Giants
Who is the only team this year that is 2-0 vs 2011 Final 4?
#2
Who is the only team this year that is 2-0 vs 2011 basement dwellers?
Clue: The beat San Diego, KC, Carolina.
J.B. Robert
October 2nd, 2012
5:53 pm
Bradley, ever heard of “sportsmanship”? I didn’t think so. You’re trailer trash, just like most of your readers.
Matt "CHOKE" Ryan
October 2nd, 2012
10:29 pm
J.B. Robert
October 2nd, 2012
5:53 pm
Bradley, ever heard of “sportsmanship”? I didn’t think so. You’re trailer trash, just like most of your readers
____________________________________________
Oh no he didn’t……..
HA HA
Extra time out - Page 2 - This Board Rocks
October 2nd, 2012
11:28 pm
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CDFALCONS
October 3rd, 2012
8:09 am
ON MY WAY! Must be a little girl, because she is complaining about some tough football player who is in pads and helmet got shoved by a coach. On My Way must be a Saint’s Fan, who need to get off the DirtyBird page.
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Ricnic31
October 4th, 2012
12:24 am
Mr. Bradley,
What kind of hand jesters was Coach Smith giving to Owner around the same time this happended near the end of the game. Or was he jestering to someone off screen and Mr. Blank happened to be in the shot?
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byc
October 4th, 2012
12:31 pm
Originally being an NBA guy I did not know that there was no penalty for calling timeouts. I was watching the game and thought that was going to hurt us for sure. Smart move by Smitty
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