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
