While you were watching 49ers running back Frank Gore running for 90 yards and two touchdowns to help the 49ers to their comeback victory over the Falcons, others were paying attention to other things about Gore.
The level of his socks, to be exact. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Gore has been fined $10,500 by the NFL for wearing his socks too low during the game against Atlanta. Gore was fined the same amount in the final week of the regular season for throwing a ball into the stands after a touchdown.
We’re long past the point of being surprised by such fines, although that doesn’t make it any less startling to see the amount Gore’s been fined for not wearing the uniform as mandated by the league. Players are fined less for smacking other players in the face after games than they are for wearing their socks too low, something which sends an odd message. The schedule for the fines is spelled out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, so both the NFL and NFLPA play a role that weights infractions incorrectly.