Prosper fans who want the Cowboys fine story in order — practice first, penalty second — can use this timeline. As planoweekly.news reported, the path from a Tuesday joint practice to Thursday's matching $500,000 NFL fines for the Cowboys and Saints is documented by the Associated Press and NFL.com.
Fox 4 also covered the matching fines in local television reporting that aligned with the AP and NFL.com accounts. Joint practices sit outside a full broadcast truck setup, which is why the league's video request, as AP described it, mattered to the review.
Aug. 18 — the joint practice
On Tuesday, Aug. 18, Dallas and New Orleans practiced together at the Cowboys' Oxnard camp. AP described multiple fights, punches thrown, Saints tight end Brock Rechsteiner body-slamming Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson, Saints center Erik McCoy throwing a Cowboys helmet, and Cowboys linebacker Donovan Ezeiruaku's ejection after trading punches with McCoy — Ezeiruaku's second ejection of camp.
Schottenheimer and Moore talked about ending early; Schottenheimer later called the day chippy and said the discipline element slipped. "There's a discipline element to playing this football game," he said, per AP.
Aug. 20 — the league acts
AP reported the NFL requested video of the workout before announcing penalties. On Thursday, Aug. 20, the league confirmed each organization was fined $500,000. NFL.com quoted the statement tying the action to the Competition Committee's sportsmanship focus and a pre-camp memo. NFL.com also noted ESPN's earlier reporting on a July memo about professionalism during joint practices.
