One expensive bird: Rex's gesture costs $50,000
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on February 2, 2010 5:46 PM ET

Two middle fingers to a crowd of Bills fans from Titans owner Bud Adams: $250,000.

One middle finger from Rex Ryan after facing "extreme provocation" by Dolphins fans at a MMA event: $50,000.

A historic year for bird flipping in the NFL: priceless.

The Associated Press reports that the Jets fined Ryan $50,000 for his "obscene gesture." (As a transplanted New Yorker, I think of it as a way to say hello.)

The NFL could still look to fine the coach under its personal conduct policy, but the team's preemptive move could potentially sway the league from getting involved.

UPDATE: Chris Mortensen reports that the NFL was confident the Jets would handle the issue. And so they have.