LOOK: Allen Lazard celebrates win on appeal over NFL fine
The NFL has been jokingly called the No Fun League for several years by players and fans due to their strict rules and fines they hand out to players for celebrations after plays. Recently, Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver Allen Lazard had a run-in with the league office.
He had one of the more epic pancake blocks of all-time against the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day. On a running play to the right side, Lazard absolutely leveled three Miami Dolphins’ defenders. In a classic move, he decided to celebrate the block by counting to three once he saw all three defenders on the ground during the play.
Check out the hit below.
It was a bone-crushing block and plays like that are exactly why fans tune in and why people love the game of football so very much. Of course, the National Football League considered a fine for him counting. But since he was so far away from all the players, it should have been considered a very harmless and tame celebration.
On Friday, Lazard got the excellent news that the NFL actually rescinded the fine and that the Packers would give him $10,609 back. Lazard celebrated the news by tweeting, “Guys…they aren’t going to fine me anymore for counting to 3!! #JusticeIsServed” Then he attached the message from the NFL in the tweet, “After reviewing the arguments and video presented to me during the appeal, I have concluded that the evidence does not warrant a fine for this violation. By copy of this letter, the fine is rescinded, and the Green Bay Packers are instructed to remit $10,609 to Mr. Lazard.”
Check out the tweet below.
Good for the NFL. They actually did something right for a change. It’s impossible to make a perfect league, but the NFL wastes entirely too much time worrying about petty fines for celebrations and taunting. There’s plenty of other things the league could fix as well. The celebrations are why people show up to the games and why they tune in. Lazard made an amazing play. He should be celebrating it.
Lazard had a breakout season this year for the Packers, hauling in 60 catches for 788 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He’ll be trying to figure out what team he’ll be playing for next season this offseason, as he tests the waters of NFL free agency.