Stefon Diggs fine "worth every penny" after NFL punishment for celebration
Former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, known as " Ocho Cinco," believes that Stefon Diggs ' payment of a £11k ($13,659) fine for his recent touchdown celebration was worthwhile.
The Buffalo Bills wide receiver grabbed two beers from the crowd and banged them together, mimicking WWE legend "Stone Cold" Steve Austin during the Attitude Era. Diggs repeatedly clanged the beers together before tossing them back toward the crowd. Despite the absence of a penalty flag during the celebration, the NFL imposed a fine on him for what they deemed unsportsmanlike conduct.
Diggs's viral celebration followed his 11-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Josh Allen, which gave the Bills a 20–14 lead. He ended the game with six receptions, 120 yards, and three touchdowns in the 48-20 win over the Miami Dolphins. Like Diggs, Johnson is no stranger to being fined for excessive celebrations at the wide receiver position. On seven occasions, the former Bengals player and team Ring of Honor member was fined £93.9k ($115,000) in his 11-year NFL career.
READ MORE: NFL Week 5 Power Rankings: Houston Texans make big climb but Miami Dolphins fall
In Nov. 2010, Johnson received a £16.3k ($20,000) fine for wearing gold cleats during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the same season, by tweeting in August, Johnson was fined £20.4 ($25,000) for violating the NFL social media policy.
Joe Burrow backs Patrick Mahomes after Kansas City Chiefs reach Super Bowl
In another infamous incident in 2009, Johnson received a £24.5k ($30,000) fine for wearing a sombrero after scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions. He also incurred a £16.3k ($20,000) penalty for taking a dollar bill onto the field and flashing it at an official during a replay challenge as a joke. He received a £8k ($10,000) fine in 2009 for wearing the wrong-colored chin strap. Further back in 2006, Johnson faced a £4k ($5,000) penalty for a uniform violation in which we used a velcro nameplate that said "Ocho Cinco" on the back instead of his legal last name.
On December 4, 2005, he received his first fine of £4k ($5,000) for excessive celebration during a game against the Baltimore Ravens. He used an end zone pylon tower to put the football against the NFL's celebration policies. Johnson has disagreed with these policies and even offered to pay fines for players who choose to celebrate rather than conform to them. He believes that these rules make the league less enjoyable.
Diggs caught 6 passes for 120 yards and 3 TDs against the DolphinsDiggs has paid over £210k ($257,596) in fines in his career, with four happening due to excessive celebrations. The most notable penalty occurred in 2017 when Diggs was a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
The 29-year-old scored a touchdown when the Vikings played against the Washington Commanders to put his team up 14-10. The receiver earned an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his celebratory act, which involved jumping onto the goal post and sliding down it, reminiscent of a firefighter's descent down a firehouse pole.
The Bills traveled to London for their next contest and are preparing to face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars at 9:30 a.m. ET. Buffalo is tied for first place in the AFC East standings with the Dolphins as they aim to distinguish themselves from their divisional competition.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
