Fines are a necessary implementation in the National Football League–when they're used the right way. The fines that are perfectly legitimate (for such infractions as head to head hits, targeting, etc.) are not my grievance. My problem is fines for something that in no way affects the function of the NFL: uniform and equipment violations.
The uniforms worn do not affect the product that is being put on TV in the slightest. Do I mean to say that players should be allowed to wear whatever uniform they deem fit? No, but players should be allowed to wear small tributes (especially for family members). Two notable examples have been Cam Heyward and DeAngelo Williams.
Cam Heyward posted a picture of him from a game where he had "Iron Head" written on his eye-black. Pretty small and not anything you'd see unless you saw the shot from the game? So why did Roger Goodell fine Heyward TWICE for this minor infraction?
The answer is a pretty simple one: money.
The NFL can't profit from these alterations, so they put their foot down and monetarily punish players. Sure, most if not all NFL players could pull $5,787 from their couch cushions, but that does not entitle the NFL to fine players for said infractions.
The monetary double standard is evident when you compare the cases of Cam Heyward and Devon Still. Both wore customized eye-black to honor a loved one's fight with cancer, but one was fined and another wasn't.
Proceeds from sales of Devon Still jerseys went to fund childhood cancer research. In Devon Still's case, the NFL stood to make some form of money. Maybe not from the sales of Devon Still's jerseys directly, but the NFL still benefited from the exposure.
If the NFL is to fine players for these alterations, they need to be done across the board, regardless of circumstances.
DeAngelo Williams requested to the NFL permission to wear pink gear all season, to honor his late mother who lost her fight with cancer last year.
He was unceremoniously denied. But WHY? I don't see a bit of a problem with DeAngelo wearing an armband, or gloves, or a small piece of gear to honor his mother.
Players should not be allowed to wear whatever color uniform they want, but being fined multiple times for wearing the wrong color socks or shoes or eye-black is absolutely ridiculous. And going forward, it doesn't even have to be a player saying "I'm going to wear this and tough cookies if you don't like it." It can be as simple as obtaining prior approval, in writing, to make minor alterations to a uniform within a certain amount of time (2 weeks?) prior to a game.
It is really that simple.
