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Atlanta Falcons punished for using 'fake crowd noise'

Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons drops back to pass during the first quarter of a game against the New Orleans Saints
Image: Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons: The franchise broke NFL rules over using recorded crowd noise

The NFL has fined the Atlanta Falcons, stripped them of a draft pick and suspended its president for simulating crowd noise during home games.

The team were given a $350,000 (£236,000) penalty and will have to forfeit their fifth-round selection in the 2016 draft for their offences.

Their president Rich McKay has been banned from the league's Competition Committee from April 1 for using “amplified crowd noise” in the 2013 and 2014 season to drum up the atmosphere.

The league said Falcons’ executives, including McKay, were unaware of artificial crowd noise being used but had to take responsibility for their team's actions.

But they ruled Roddy White, the team's former director of event marketing, was responsible for the pre-recorded sounds.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank had previously said he had seen enough of the NFL's investigation to admit wrongdoing by his club.

"It's not really a fine line," he said. "I think what we've done in 2013 and 2014 was wrong.

“Anything that affects the competitive balance and fairness on the field, we're opposed to, as a league, as a club and as an owner.

“It's obviously embarrassing but beyond embarrassing it doesn't represent our culture and what we're about."

McKay can petition NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to be reinstated to the committee from June 30.

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