The NFL made a huge decision not to interfere with the presidential election, it emerged today, after a star player donned a MAGA cap on live TV.
The league decided to delay fining San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Nick Bosa until after Election Day, sources told the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
Fines are typically handed down swiftly, within a few days. But in the politically fraught pre-election fever, NFL insiders told the Journal that the decision was deliberately postponed until after the election.
Bosa broke NFL rules that prohibit ‘conveying personal messages’ when he wore the pro-Trump hat during a postgame interview following the 49ers’ victory over the Dallas Cowboys on October 27.
His public endorsement even caught Donald Trump‘s attention, with the president-elect posting on his Truth Social platform at the time: ‘Nick Bosa is a great player’.
Any action against Bosa by the NFL before November 5 would have likely sparked fury from fans – and Trump himself, who is no stranger to criticizing the league.
Nick Bosa surprises teammates by showing off his MAGA hat to NBC’s audience last month
Donald Trump and Kid Rock are seen at an Alabama-Georgia game in Tuscaloosa
At the time, broadcasters had already been accused of election interference by limiting coverage of Trump when he attended college football games – despite the GOP candidate appearing on big screens and receiving cheers inside stadiums.
Trump supporters may have leveled similar accusations at the NFL had it fined Bosa amid the highly-charged atmosphere of the election.
Trump was himself a vocal critic of the league during its handling of the ‘taking the knee’ movement during his first administration. He has also this year ripped into NFL rules chiefs over its new rollout of a ‘ridiculous kickoff,’ which is how he described the league’s effort to revamp that aspect of the game.
The fine for Bosa certainly raised eyebrows, with many contrasting it to the NFL’s treatment of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked the kneeling movement.
‘Nick Bosa wears a MAGA hat and gets an eleven thousand dollars fine,’ one critic wrote online. ‘Does anyone else remember someone wearing pig socks and a Castro t-shirt and being hailed as a hero?’
Typically, the NFL has issued such fines much faster than the two weeks it took the league to penalize Bosa. For instance, when Pittsburgh Steelers receiver George Pickens wrote ‘always f***ing open’ across his eye black, the league responded with a $10,231 fine within a week.
An NFL spokesman has not responded to DailyMail.com’s request for comment about the timing of Bosa’s fine.
CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones previously revealed on November 1 the NFL planned to punish Bosa after the November 5 election.
Despite the league’s rule against ‘wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages’ a number of Trump critics rushed to support the defensive end.
‘I won’t be watching the NFL this week,’ wrote social media personality Nick Adams on X. ‘Not a single game. Not a single play.
‘The woke NFL is trying to run Nick Bosa out of the league like Tebow because he expressed a belief they didn’t like. Disgusting. Boycott the NFL!’
Bosa has been an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump since before being drafted in 2019
Niners star Nick Bosa is a Donald Trump fan and the feeling is evidently mutual
Social media personality Nick Adams seized on the issue and clams he’s boycotting the NFL
Many suggested that Bosa was being targeted for supporting Donald Trump
CBS reported on November 1 the league planned to delay Bosa’s fine until after the election
Conservative sports podcaster Jason Whitlock has called the fine ‘bogus,’ while many others complained about the social justice messaging NFL players were permitted to wear during the 2020 season.
More than anything, fans accused the NFL of trying to silence a conservative voice within the league.
‘He should’ve worn BLM attire,’ one fan wrote. ‘They’d have given him 11Gs.’
‘Funny how [Black Live Matters] messages weren’t [fined], and neither were the players kneeling for the national anthem….which was done to convey a personal message,’ one critic wrote on X.
In 2016, the NFL stated that players are ‘encouraged by not required to stand during the playing of the National Anthem.’
A long-time supporter of Trump, Bosa knew he’d likely be fined and told reporters before ever receiving the penalty that ‘it was well worth it.’
Bosa gave another hat tip to Trump on Sunday when he imitated Trump’s notorious fist-pumping YMCA dance after sacking Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Trump responded online by writing: ‘NICK BOSA IS A GREAT PLAYER!’
Back in 2019, Trump tweeted out congratulations to Bosa ‘on being picked number two in the NFL Draft.’
‘You will be a great player for years to come, maybe one of the best,’ Trump wrote at the time. ‘Big Talent! San Francisco will embrace you but most importantly, always stay true to yourself.’
As for the NFL’s political leanings, USA Today reported in October that team owners donated a total $28 million this election cycle, with most of that going to Republicans.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .