How NFL Players can Stick it to Football Hitler
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
We see them every week. Awesome custom NFL cleats. Whether it be to raise awareness to a cause, to remember a sports figure, honor family, or to give Harambe a shout out, NFL players are showing up in pregame with cleats that are simply works of art. The players love it. The fans love it. Even old men are searching for the fire emoji to text someone when they see these awesome cleats. But football Hitler, better known as Roger Goodell has a uniform policy in place and he isn't so keen on all this fun.
Players are forced to remove these cleats after pregame warmups are subject to a fine if wearing them in the 1st half. Some have already been told they won't be allowed to play the 2nd half unless these cleats are changed at halftime.
I get this is a uniform policy. I get that there are rules. But fans all over the country are complaining about the fun the NFL is sucking out of it's product. And now there's a way for the players to stick it to the NFL, and say it's time for a new commissioner. They can bully the bully.
Why doesn't every player show up in custom cleats? Set a date. Let it be known. Even if it were just one game and only 2 teams wore all custom cleats. It would be met with applause by an overwhelming majority of fans because they see it as a way to stick Roger Goodell the middle finger. It's unlikely to happen because let's be honest, it would take the right voice in their ear influencing them to do it and I'm just some guy with a sports blog. Even if the right voice was in their ear, it would be an stretch to think 2 entire teams would participate.
But there's a reason why this should happen. It would make a statement. NFL players are tired of Goodell and his policies. Fans are even more tired of them. We're all tired of Goodell constantly changing our game like an egomanical dictator, while ignoring the fans who are the lifeblood and the players who are the heartbeat of the league. We all feel like a lot of these fines are in place solely to milk a little money from players every week. Especially when players are fined for wearing pink outside of October, or by wearing a color that spreads awareness to an illness. But if the NFL isn't making money from it, they seem to not care about any of these causes. These players are making millions, so the NFL feels it's ok to take tens of thousands of dollars every week from players wearing cleats or celebrating. While it may not put a huge dent in the income these players receive, it's still a pathetic gesture that's in place. Especially when you consider the repeated mistakes the NFL makes when investigating criminal activity by a small percentage of it's players. That's what needs to be cleaned up. Not guys having a little fun while playing a game. Even Goodell's responses to complaints have been met with an attitude as if we don't know what we're talking about.
If 2 teams dug their heels in the sand and said we're doing this, it would put the NFL in an awkward position. Exactly what's the NFL going to do? Sure, they could fine them all. But do you really think officials would tell them all that they won't be allowed to play in the 2nd half if the cleats aren't switched? Imagine the backlash if they tried to pull that. There's absolutely zero chance the NFL cancels a 2nd half of a game over cleats. This would then in turn open the door for any other guy that chooses to wear cleats to honor whatever he chooses without threats of being ejected. The NFL can't police players differently for committing the same infraction or then they could have a legal problem.
This would send a message to the NFL that it is nothing without it's players or fans. Sure, wearing custom cleats would be a small stand against the NFL, but it would be a stand nonetheless. And it would stick it to a league and vile commissioner that's more concerned with punishing fun, than investigating domestic abuse.
