Urlacher fined 100K for wearing wrong hat on media day..

[DarrylS]

Betcha vitamin water, will pay Urlacher handsomely for this one.. seems a bit silly, but talk about getting free press, Chicago Tribune will probably run this on the front page tommorrow.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18180024/

NEW YORK - Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was fined $100,000 by the NFL for wearing a cap during Super Bowl media day that promoted a sponsor not authorized by the league.

NFL rules prohibit gear that advertises any product but a designated sponsor, league spokesman Brian McCarthy said Wednesday.

Urlacher was fined for drinking vitaminwater and wearing a vitaminwater hat during the media session in Miami leading to the title game. Gatorade is the NFL’s official drink.

McCarthy said this is the first time such a fine has been levied. He added that $100,000 is the standard fine for such a violation at the Super Bowl. A violation during the regular season is $10,000. It is $50,000 at the Pro Bowl.

 

[Seymour93]

No Fun League indeed. 100K? Ridiculous even for a multi-millionare.

 

[PATSNUTme]

I'm glad to see that the NFL is finally cracking down on the criminal element in the game.

 

[Patriotic]

Did they go to the Instant Replay for review?

 

[tombonneau]

I think there is nothing wrong with that fine. It should have been more.

Major corporations like Reebok & Motorola shell out huge $$$ so that their product gets that kind of visibility. Plus, it helps the NFL to control what types of brands are associated with the league.

Think about it: What would happen to the league if any player were allowed to cut their own side deals with companies and promoted anything they wanted. It would be tacky & whorish, like Ultimate Fighting & NASCAR.

Do you really want Brady doing a press conference decked out with more logos than Ricky Bobby?

Besides, I'm sure Urlacher got a nice chunk of change from Vitamin Water that more than offset the fine.

 

[darkhorse]

They probably paid him at least $100,000 to wear it

 

[taltos]

I think there is nothing wrong with that fine. It should have been more.

Major corporations like Reebok & Motorola shell out huge $$$ so that their product gets that kind of visibility. Plus, it helps the NFL to control what types of brands are associated with the league.

Think about it: What would happen to the league if any player were allowed to cut their own side deals with companies and promoted anything they wanted. It would be tacky & whorish, like Ultimate Fighting & NASCAR.

You mean like Jerry Jones did with Pepsi and several other sponsors at Texas Stadium? If it's ok for the owners, should be ok for the players.

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

I think there is nothing wrong with that fine. It should have been more.

Major corporations like Reebok & Motorola shell out huge $$$ so that their product gets that kind of visibility. Plus, it helps the NFL to control what types of brands are associated with the league.

Think about it: What would happen to the league if any player were allowed to cut their own side deals with companies and promoted anything they wanted. It would be tacky & whorish, like Ultimate Fighting & NASCAR.

Do you really want Brady doing a press conference decked out with more logos than Ricky Bobby?

Besides, I'm sure Urlacher got a nice chunk of change from Vitamin Water that more than offset the fine.

Brady hyping Viagra ???

 

[Fixit]

I feel safer.

 

[g-fresh]

That's the biggest fine I remember seeing, kind of sad that he gets fined 10x the amount that guys who make dive at other players knees get.

 

[tombonneau]

You mean like Jerry Jones did with Pepsi and several other sponsors at Texas Stadium? If it's ok for the owners, should be ok for the players.

Yes, it is ok for owners. Owners are the ones shelling out all the money. A lot of them foot the bill to build $500 million stadiums. For many owners, owning a sports franchise is a side business in which they often lose money.

So I have no qualms with them recouping some of their investment via stadium advertising, which is a lot less intrusive then when you are looking at someone and they are covered in logos.

And in case you forgot players are also earning a salary for playing in the league, and if they are popular enough they can earn their own endoresment money outside of the league.

 

[Pujo]

They probably paid him at least $100,000 to wear it

Exactly, it was a calculated move on his part. He knew even with the fine he'd come out with a profit, and why not have some fun at the NFL's expense?

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Word up was he got a twofer.
There was Stoli Vodka in the bottle too.

 

[Fencer]

I'm sure that WHATEVER the fine was, the company would have paid it.

It's really a fine to them.

If this kind of thing happens often enough, the league will indeed go after the players more directly.

It's a monetary/business offense; a monetary/business punishment is appropriate.

 

[zippo59]

I feel safer.

I know I'll sleep a little sounder knowing the league is cracking down on these heinous crimes.

 

[letekro]

Exactly, it was a calculated move on his part. He knew even with the fine he'd come out with a profit, and why not have some fun at the NFL's expense?

Not only that, but there's probably an indemnification clause in the agreement where the company agreed to pay any fines incurred because of wearing the company's product.

 

[patchick]

No Fun League indeed. 100K? Ridiculous even for a multi-millionare.

Gotta disagree -- this wasn't about "fun," it was all business. Urlacher didn't just happen to stroll in accidentally wearing the wrong hat. It was a coordinated paid placement, and a calculated choice to flout the rules for his own financial gain.

I don't think the league had much choice on this one. A modest token fine would be an invitation to all players to use official league appearances as advertising opportunities. They had to come up with a dollar figure that said "you won't make money doing this."

 

[sebman2112]

To be honest I think the fine itself is a bit harsh. It was media day, and he was just answering questions. It's not like he was wearing illegal gear during the actual game. Yes, I know the company will likely pay the fine. I just don't see his getting fined 100K for wearing a hat during Media day, when others get fined 5K-10K for doing much worse. It just goes to show the NFL only cares about covering their own backside.

Reggie Bush had illegal cleats on, then all of a sudden that maker found their way on to the NFL's sponsor list.....

 

[RayClay]

Even in the anti-trust protected NFL, allowing Gatorade hats and fining someone for wearing something else in a mandatory media event not directly involved with the reason they're being paid, (playing football), could not possibly hold up in court.

 

[PATRIOT64]

Who says that company didn't pay him 500,000 for wearing it beforehand?
That means a $400,000 profit if they did-Who knows what he was paid to wear it?.

It might be a new trend in the future and unless they up the fine or stricter rules can they really stop it?