Last week the NFL world was sent into an outrage over a $14,926 fine that San Francisco 49ers FB Kyle Juszczyk received for simulating a drink after a big play. After reviewing his appeal, the NFL has decided to rescind the punishment.
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the NFL rescinded the fine on the grounds that his celebration was “simulating drinking a juice box, not a beer.” The league further stated that Juszczyk called the fine “hypocritical” and they appeared to agree.
“The NFL has rescinded the $14,926 fine it imposed on 49ers FB Kyle ‘Juice’ Juszczyk for what it thought was a distasteful celebration of chugging a beer. The league said it was withdrawing the fine ‘because his celebration was simulating drinking a juice box, not a beer….Mr. Juszczyk finally stated that the fine is hypocritical with the amount of Bud Light sponsorships surrounding the NFL.’ Fine rescinded,” Schefter wrote on X.
The Hypocrisy
In the aftermath of the fine, Juszczyk – whose nickname is “Juice” – as well as some friends and fans declared that he wasn’t simulating drinking a beer, only a juice box. And while this particular defense was seen as iffy to some, the far bigger gripe that fans had with it was penalizing him for simulating taking a drink when the league has beer sponsorships at every level of the league.
There are beer commercials, beer signs in and around stadiums and beer for sale in stadiums.
Kyle Terada-Imagn Images.
Beer is so synonymous with the NFL (and sports in general) that it’s downright silly to punish someone for simply pretending to enjoy one.
As far as we know, one of the NFL’s many alcohol-related sponsors could have applied a little bit of pressure to make the NFL rescind that punishment. We’ll never know for sure, but companies hate bad headlines and this Juszczyk punishment has been one bad headline after another.
