The National Football League, while arguably the most popular professional sports league in North America, has some rules that make the game less fun than it could be under certain circumstances.
One of those rules is that players are not allowed to have messages on their uniforms. But for one week, the NFL will change that. Of course, there are stipulations.
According to Sports Illustrated, personal messages will be allowed on players’ cleats during Week 13, where the league plans to allow players to promote a charitable cause of their choice. The weakened policy for a week is also expected to allow for more than just cleats.
From SI:
Players must have the charity or cause approved by the league prior to Week 13, as the league will still determine the legitimacy of the cause. The players must also auction off the cleats after use and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to that charity or cause.
The NFL could reportedly announce their plans for this as early as this week, per SI.
This past Sunday, some players wore cleats in remembrance of the attacks on September 11, 2001. It has yet to bee seen if fines will be imposed upon those players, but it’s a safe bet that they will be.
The NFL simply does not care what your cause is when it comes to the uniform policy. Most recently, DeAngelo Williams was fined for writing “Find the Cure” on his eye black to raise awareness for breast cancer. Williams is notably a huge part of starting the league’s pink initiative in October. In response, Williams colored his dreadlocks pink so the league couldn’t fine him.
In 2013, former Chicago Bears receiver Brandon Marshall was fined $10,500 for wearing green cleats in promotion of mental health awareness.
Despite the league having a set of rules for players to go through like TSA, it wouldn’t be surprising to see anybody do just about whatever they want during this week. But if we had to guess, the fines will just go up on that particular week.
[SI]
