BLAINE, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Tice will
likely be fined by the NFL for scalping Super Bowl tickets.
NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said Wednesday that Tice broke
league rules by reselling the tickets, something he called "clear
violations of our policies."
"At some point, I will be imposing discipline," Tagliabue
said. "I don't think it will include a suspension." He said "a
fine or multiple fines" would probably be appropriate
Tice was investigated by the NFL for heading up a
ticket-scalping operation within the Vikings organization that
included assistant coaches and some players.
Tice denied buying tickets from players since he took over as
Vikings coach in 2002, but acknowledged last month that he resold
some of his personal allotment of 12 Super Bowl tickets last season
and had also resold his tickets as a Vikings assistant coach from
1996-2001.
Vikings spokesman Bob Hagan said Tice is out of the country on
vacation would not be commenting.
Each NFL player and assistant coach has the right to purchase up
to two Super Bowl tickets at face value, which this year was $500
and $600 depending on the seat. But they must sign a document
saying they won't resell them at a profit.
Tagliabue said the NFL has investigated other situations
involving other teams, but "no other teams were found in
violation."
In 1986, Dominic Frontiere, then the husband of Rams owner
Georgia Frontiere, pleaded guilty to not reporting income from
2,500 scalped tickets to the 1980 Super Bowl. He was sentenced to a
year and a day in jail, was fined $15,000 and received three years
probation.
Tice is heading into the final year of a contract that ranks him
among the NFL's lowest-paid head coaches.