The NFL fined Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes over $14,000 for what the league described as a “violent gesture” during a touchdown celebration in a game against the Buffalo Bills.
The violent gesture?
Finger guns after throwing a touchdown pass. Seriously. Finger guns.
Here is the exact entry on the NFL website for Mahomes’ transgression:
Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes 4 7:59 Unsportsmanlike Conduct (violent gesture) $14,069.00
The NFL has that posted on a page that lists “game-related rules violations” for rules that are designed to “protect players from unnecessary risk and preserve competitive balance and game integrity.”
Here is the integrity issue …
The NFL hit Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes with a $14,069 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct after he celebrated a touchdown pass in Buffalo by mimicking a gun with his fingers.
— No Jumper (@nojumper) November 24, 2024
The league labeled this a "violent gesture."pic.twitter.com/N5egEjHqST
Patrick Mahomes Fined For ‘Violent’ Gesture
Leveling a fine against a player for making a gun gesture is weapons-grade stupidity on its own. Doing so against a quarterback like Mahomes is next level.
Not because of who he is but because of his position.
The guy literally plays a position in which he is encouraged to “rifle” the ball toward his target. Sometimes, sports announcers will describe a pass with a lot of zip on it as “firing a bullet.”
Mahomes also has been said to have a “cannon” for an arm.
Let’s hope that announcers calling NFL games do not use such “violent” imagery in their analysis going forward. Otherwise, the league will have no choice but to lay down the hammer.
Oh, wait, I better not say hammer. Seems too violent.
See how silly all of this sounds? The NFL should, quite frankly, be embarrassed.
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NFL Has Bigger Problems
Mahomes’ fine comes amidst a broader NFL crackdown on celebrations that resemble gun use, with several other players having been penalized similarly for “gun-related” celebrations earlier in the season.
There have been 17 fines for “obscene gestures” this season as compared to last season.
The league actually went so far as to describe gun gestures during games as being an “epidemic.”
“We don’t think it’s appropriate in those circumstances and sends the wrong messages,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said.
The NFL has long been described as the “National Felon League,” and the Super Bowl champion Chiefs have a longer rap sheet than most mafia members, but at least they’re ridding the world of the scourge of finger guns.
More about:NFL News
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