Bills receiver Stevie Johnson lifted up his jersey to reveal a Joker-themed message on his undershirt after scoring a touchdown on Sunday, and now he’s paying for it.
The NFL fined Johnson $5,000.
Johnson wrote “Why so Serious?” on his white shirt, which Joker says in The Dark Knight. He said he decided to do it because the Bills were playing the Bengals, whose starting receivers, Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, have referred to themselves as Batman and Robin.
“Yeah, I got in trouble,” Johnson said of the fine. “I don’t regret it.”
Johnson was surprised the league disciplined him for what he called “a fun gesture.” But he added that it won’t happen again.
“I’m not trying to get any more fines,” he said. “I want to keep my money.”
With the $5,000 fine from Johnson coming down the same day as a $5,000 fine for Eagles guard Todd Herremans, the league has essentially said that writing a message on your shirt is exactly as bad as taking a cheap shot to an opponent’s knees.