The NFL is facing criticism after Jameson Williams was fined $19,697 for making a crotch grab during a touchdown celebration, despite the league using a similar gesture to promote its YouTube highlights.
The Lions’ wide receiver caught a 64-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff in Detroit’s dominant victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. Williams celebrated by jumping in the air and mimicking a crotch grab, a move reminiscent of Marshawn Lynch’s iconic gesture following his famous ‘Beast Quake’ run against the Saints in 2011.
Lynch had made the same gesture after his 79-yard touchdown run a decade ago, and was fined $11,050 for it. Now, Williams faces punishment for ‘Unsportsmanlike Conduct (obscene gestures)’ for his celebration.
However, sharp-eyed fans noticed that Williams’ gesture was used as the thumbnail for the NFL’s official YouTube highlights of the game. By Saturday evening, the video had already amassed over 1.1 million views.
“Funny how this gesture is labeled as ‘obscene’ by the NFL, but they use it to market their own videos,” one social media user remarked.
Other fans expressed frustration as well. “What a joke. There are bigger issues, and the league is focused on this,” one said. “The NFL draws more attention to the ‘gesture’ with the fine than it got when he first did it,” another added.
Meanwhile, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was also fined for an unsportsmanlike gesture in his team’s loss to the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. After connecting with tight end Noah Gray for a touchdown, Mahomes made a hand gesture that the league deemed a mimic of using guns. The NFL has cracked down on such gestures this season, and Mahomes was hit with a $14,069 fine for making a “violent gesture,” according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.