San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk found himself nearly $15,000 lighter in the wallet this week after imitating a beer chug while celebrating a play. Juszczyk certainly wasn’t happy about it and the rest of the league finds it downright hypocritical.
“Your imitation of chugging a beer constituted an offensive demonstration and could reasonably be construed as being in poor taste,” the NFL wrote in its fine letter to Juszczyk. The 49ers fullback is reportedly appealing the fine.
As just about every fan who saw the news has pointed out on social media, the NFL has official beer sponsors (and has for four decades) and every media outlet that broadcasts the games do to. The idea that the league could fine a player for simply pretending to drink beer is laughable.
“Wait, the NFL can have beer as a sponsor, but a fullback can’t do a celebration pretending to chug a beer? NFL, consistently making poor decisions,” FOX analyst Jason McIntyre wrote on X.
“I’m just going to go out on a limb here… For a guy whose nickname is Juice, could it not be ‘reasonably construed’ that he is drinking… stay with me here… Juice?” CBS color commentator and former NFL star J.J. Watt pointed out.
“Would hate for someone to think an NFL team was associated with someone drinking alcohol,” another user remarked, showing off official Bud Light cans with every NFL logo printed on them.
“The NFL shoves alcohol down our throats but god forbid a player gestures drinking,” a third said.
“This genuinely pisses me off how soft the NFL has become. Meanwhile, they run beer and gambling advertising during commercials. Can’t make this (expletive) up.”
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Why fine him at all?
It may not be as much of a puritanical decision by the NFL as much as one of self-preservation. Media networks have refused to air commercials depicting people actually consuming alcohol for a long time due in no small part to fears that it will offend viewers who may not want their children to see it happening.
Of course, that hasn’t stopped the NFL and media companies from partnering up with those beer companies regardless and advertising everything EXCEPT the act of drinking.
Nevertheless, the league should rescind this fine. It can’t prove that Juszczyk was chugging beer specifically and not some other drink like Gatorade.
