Nate Burleson gets a 15k fine

Nate Burleson got under the skin of the stuffy shirts that run the National Football League. First, during pre game warm ups he lifted up his jersey to reveal a t shirt that said, “What up Doe.” Then after scoring a touchdown he punted the ball into the crowd received a 15 yard penalty and now has been fined 15k by the league for these actions. This seems a little ridiculous and I would think a league facing a potential work stoppage would have far more interesting things to worry about then a player acting some what of a jack ass.

Sure both of these actions were not terribly professional, but does it really matter? I was watching the Lions game and was surprised by Burleson’s actions but I though the penalty was punishment enough. Really all this guy did was give someone a great souvenir and a story to tell folks for the rest of his life, or he made some Ebayer a nice chunk of change. Either way reaching out to the fans is never a bad thing.

As far as the “What up Doe” T shirt, we are not exactly talking about a jersey that says “He hate Me.” This is a slang term meant as a greeting. Since Nate has been injured, and plays a significant role in the Lion offense I took the “What up Doe” as a welcoming message from Nate. What is wrong with NFL players showing a little personality? This is not the Icky Shuffle or Chad Ochocinco, or Terrell Owens doing craziness; it is a guy showing some love to the fans of Detroit. A city that has struggled to sell out its building recently. These kinds of things make football fun, but Roger Goodell can’t have that.

Related Links:

•Detroit Lions news and notes
•The Business of the NFL
•MTR Football
•Joshua Lobdell.com