Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was hit with a fine for unsportsmanlike conduct after celebrating a team touchdown by pretending to shoot a gun.
Watson was celebrating with tight end David Njoku when the incident occurred.
Outkick reported that Watson was fined $13,659 for the celebratory mime, which the NFL viewed as a “violent gesture.” Sports Illustrated noted that the NFL described Watson’s actions–pretending to shoot a gun that was not there–as a “gun-themed” celebration.
Outkick observed:
The NFL plays 16 games on any given weekend and protects its players, coaches, and the field with men and women who carry actual guns. Teams travel to games escorted and protected by people with actual guns. Some clubs have people at their facilities armed with actual guns.
Many NFL players, being American citizens, are free to exercise their second amendment [right] to own guns. And, based on anecdotal evidence, a large percentage do.
But a pretend gun celebration is bad in the NFL’s eyes.
Ironically, while the NFL fined Watson for pretending to shoot a gun, the organization did not fine him for allegedly pushing a referee:
The incident with the pretend gun occurred in the Browns’ Week 2 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.