Vontaze Burfict and Doug Baldwin both got a slap on the wrist Friday in the form of $12,154 fines after flipping the bird last weekend.
#Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict & #Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin fined $12,154 for separate unsportsmanlike conduct incidents (flipping the bird)
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 25, 2016
The Cincinnati Bengals linebacker is lucky he didn’t get double the fine after using both hands to send a message of disdain last Sunday, especially considering his history of bad behavior.
During his team’s home game against the Buffalo Bills, Burfict flipped off fans after sacking quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter (watch here). To be fair to him, he did so after having beer thrown at him.
Baldwin’s infraction stems from a rather humorous exchange. He wanted to have Russell Wilson throw him the ball down in the red zone for the Seattle Seahawks. Instead, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell called for a trick play in which Baldwin threw a gorgeous pass to Wilson under duress for a touchdown (watch here).
Nobody likes to be fined. But given the way the NFL has cracked down so hard on many things, the amount Baldwin and Burfict have to pay is relatively small. They know the rules and had to know when they flipped the bird that a fine would be coming.
Hopefully it was worth it.