Let’s not even attempt to understand NFL rules as it relates to fines that the league office hands out. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was fined $10,000 on Thursday for wearing Beats by Dre headphones during his postgame press conference on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/beatsbydre/status/518949240806973442
The ban apparently runs until 90 minutes after the game, which means Kaepernick was in violation of league-mandated equipment rules.
While the rule is rather clear cut, it’s also ridiculous to tell a player what brand he can use when listening to music simply because of a contract the league has with another audio company in the form of Bose.
In a pretty hilarious turn of events, the Kaepernick fine comes days after Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas was docked just over $8,000 for a chop block that injured Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campball last week.
The league continually says that its primary concern is over player safety. If these two fines are any indication, the league seems to care more about corporate sponsorships than player safety.
That in and of itself is a joke.
For his part, Kaepernick refused to answer whether Beats will pay the fine. Though, you can read between the lines there. It also remains to be seen if the 49ers quarterback or other NFL players have decided to continue ignoring the ban.
Photo: SF Gate