The $11,255 fine the NFL imposed on San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa for wearing a MAGA hat on Oct. 27 was deliberately delayed until after the Nov. 5 presidential election to avoid backlash from Donald Trump and his supporters, they said. sources. The Wall Street Journal.
NFL players are strictly prohibited from wearing, displaying or otherwise conveying personal messages on the field, whether in writing or artwork. Therefore, Bosa’s decision to interrupt a post-match interview while wearing a “Make America Great Again” ball cap clearly violated league rules.
But while it’s no surprise that Bosa received a small penalty (just 0.06 percent of the nearly $17 million he will earn in salary and bonuses this season), the timing of the NFL’s decision has raised eyebrows.
Normally, the NFL has handed out such fines much faster than the two weeks it took the league to sanction Bosa. For example, when Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens wrote “always f***ing open” on his black eyes, the league responded within a week with a $10,231 fine.
An NFL spokesperson did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment on the timing of Bosa’s fine.
Nick Bosa surprised teammates by flashing his MAGA hat to the NBC audience last month
Donald Trump and Kid Rock are seen during an Alabama-Georgia game in Tuscaloosa
CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones previously revealed on Nov. 1 that the NFL planned to punish Bosa after the Nov. 5 election.
Despite the league’s rule against “wearing, displaying or otherwise conveying personal messages,” some Trump critics rushed to support the defensive cause.
“I’m not going to watch the NFL this week,” social media personality Nick Adams wrote on X. “Not a single game. Not a single play.
“The woke NFL is trying to drive Nick Bosa, like Tebow, out of the league because he expressed the belief that they didn’t like it.
‘Horrible. Boycott the NFL!’
Conservative sports podcaster Jason Whitlock has called the fine “bogus,” while many others complained about the social justice messages NFL players were allowed to wear during the 2020 season.
More than anything, fans accused the NFL of silencing a conservative voice within the league.
“He should have worn BLM gear,” one fan wrote. “They would have given him 11Gs.”
Bosa has been an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump since he was drafted in 2019
Niners star Nick Bosa is a fan of Donald Trump and the feeling is clearly mutual
Social media personality Nick Adams seized on the issue and claims he is boycotting the NFL
Many suggested Bosa was targeted because of his support for Donald Trump
CBS reported on November 1 that the league planned to postpone Bosa’s fine until after the election
‘Funny how [Black Live Matters] messages were not [fined]nor did the players kneel for the national anthem… which was done to convey a personal message,” wrote a critic on X.
In 2016, the NFL stated that players are “encouraged by not having to stand during the playing of the national anthem.”
Bosa was a long-time supporter of Trump and knew he would likely be fined. Before receiving the punishment, he told reporters that “it was worth it.”
Bosa gave Trump another hat tip on Sunday when he imitated Trump’s infamous fist-pumping YMCA dance after sacking Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Trump responded online by writing, “NICK BOSA IS A GREAT PLAYER!”
In 2019, Trump tweeted his congratulations to Bosa “on being selected #2 overall in the NFL Draft.”
“You will be a great player for years to come, perhaps one of the best,” Trump wrote at the time. ‘Great talent! San Fracisco will embrace you, but above all: always stay true to yourself.’
As for the NFL’s political leanings: USA Today reports this in October, team owners donated a total of $28 million during this election cycle, most of which went to Republicans.