During NFL training camps, teams usually conduct joint practices to familiarize themselves with game-speed situations; not to brawl. During the Dallas Cowboys-Oakland Raiders training camp practice, the teams got into a fight after a Cowboys player broke an agreement between the teams.
Third year Dallas cornerback Morris Claiborne seemed to have initiated the brawl after he disregarded the rules at the training camp practice. The teams agreed that there would be no tackling during the scrimmage, but Claiborne either forgot or didn't care. Raiders tight end Mychal Rivera caught a pass and began running down field before he met Claiborne, who then upended Rivera and slammed him into the ground. As you can see in the video below (provided by Comcast Sportsnet), Claiborne was unapologetic shortly after the incident:
Claiborne's taunting likely caused the brawl, which seemed to have insulted Raiders wide receiver Greg Little, who immediately charged at the Cowboys cornerback and forcefully shoved him into the sidelines. But it didn't end there. A number of players circled around the ongoing incident, either adding to the fight or trying to break it up. An Oakland Raiders fan even got involved, as you can see him in the video below (via Instagram user sc_spitta) slapping Dallas cornerback B.W. Webb in the back of the head twice and then smacking him with a Raiders helmet.
In Colorado, the Denver Broncos experienced some friendly fire at their training camp practice, and Peyton Manning wasn't too happy about it. On Tuesday morning it was reported that things got physical during a run-game session, and the lineman got into it a few times before causing an all-out fight. Sources say offensive lineman Will Montgomery and Orlando Franklin were engaged in physical confrontations with defensive tackles Kevin Vickerson, Derek Wolfe and Terrance Knighton. The coaches and players on the sideline ran in to disperse the incident.
"I don't like [fights], to tell you the truth,'' said Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, in this ESPN article. "You don't do it in a game. If you do it in a game, it usually costs you something important, it costs you a drive, costs you field position. ... I'm into treating practice like a game. I'm not a fan of it.''
Perhaps these NFL teams are anxious for the season to begin with kickoff just under three weeks away.
