Lions receiver Nate Burleson lifted his jersey during Sunday’s pregame introductions to reveal a shirt with “What up doe” written on it. He also scored a touchdown and, in celebration, punted the ball into the stands.
In the NFL, those are costly rules violations.
Burleson has been fined $15,000 for breaking celebration rules and uniform policies.
That seems like an awfully stiff price. There’s nothing obscene about “What up doe” (it’s Detroit slang for “what’s up?”), and kicking a ball into the stands just gives a fan a great souvenir. Burleson didn’t do anything with either gesture that reflects badly on the league.
And yet he was fined three times as much as a teammate who gave the finger to an opposing fan.