Fans love it when professional players show passion and enthusiasm for their sport.
But unfortunately, everything has gotten so politically correct in the NFL that players have to be careful how they celebrate.
And the woke NFL just fined Deshaun Watson $35K for this ridiculous reason.
To say that Deshaun Watson has a checkered past would be a huge understatement.
In recent years, numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and assault have been leveled against the professional athlete.
The lawsuits filed against Watson number in the dozens.
Because of the allegations, the NFL suspended him for 11 games, and he was forced to pay a $5 million fine.
Nike suspended endorsement deals with him, and other businesses dropped him like a hot potato.
While the accusations from so many women are serious, what’s a lot less serious and certainly more political in nature is what happened to Watson at a game last week.
In fact, the latest move by the NFL is being derided as utterly ridiculous.
Watson got the book thrown at him….for what?
The Cleveland Browns quarterback has been fined $35, 513 for conduct that occurred on the night of the Browns’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What merited a good chunk of the fine that totaled more than many people make in a year was what happened when Watson celebrated with teammate David Njoku after a touchdown.
The unconscionable act (for the NFL) was when the two men fired off pretend guns to celebrate their victorious moment.
#Browns QB Deshaun Watson and TE David Njoku both got fined $13,659 for this celebration where they pretended to shoot guns.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/LEcf9xrskd
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) September 23, 2023
Reaction on social media was decidedly mixed, but critics are calling the fine just plain dumb and are attributing it to a woke worldview that has infiltrated the NFL.
One Twitter/X user wrote in reaction to the fine, “As opposed to honorary salutes with real guns, wild.”
As opposed to honorary salutes with real guns, wiiiild
— Jake The Logical Jawn (@Versuhtyle) September 24, 2023
Another wrote sarcastically, “That’s horrible they definitely should have pretended to have bow & arrows instead.”
That's horrible they definitely should have pretended to have bow & arrows instead
— tridder (⟐,⟐) (@tridder46290) September 24, 2023
Still another user brought up a good point, calling into question the consistency of the leagues anti-gun position, writing, “NFL doesn’t care the pats do it every touchdown….”
NFL doesn’t care the pats do it every touchdown…. pic.twitter.com/NygPTTy6Hz
— Spence (@Spencer_enos) September 24, 2023
Consider that multiple games are played each weekend and that the league itself protects its players, coaches, and the field with individuals who carry guns for protection.
Additionally, the teams are protected by people with guns as they travel.
American citizens through the second amendment have the right to own guns, and many clearly do.
So, it all just seems rather eye roll inducing that a three-second duration pretend gun celebration would be forbidden by the NFL.
Inconsistencies are the only constant
Other inconsistencies on the part of the NFL have been highlighted as well.
While Watson was fined for the fake gun shooting victory celebration, he seems to have evaded any repercussions for putting his hands on a game official and shoving him aside.
Looks like Deshaun Watson got away with putting his hands on an official. Usually a no-no. pic.twitter.com/EbEjDiyaxO
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 19, 2023
So, to recap, the mere jovial and joking suggestion of violence is frowned upon, but the actual act of physically displacing a game official was a-ok.
These are indeed head-scratching contradictions, but not exactly surprising given the realities of 2023 America.
