National Football League

New York Giants DE fined $12,154 for pretending to take picture of teammates

Published Nov. 15, 2016 1:48 p.m. ET

Andrew Lynch

When you first hear about the fine levied against New York Giants defensive end Owa Odighizuwa, you can't help but laugh at the seeming absurdity.

That's right, $12,154 for pretending to take a picture of a teammate. That sounds like a pretty steep punishment for an innocuous moment, especially with everything else that's on the NFL's plate these days. Here's the incident in question:

I mean, Odighizuwa had to know he would face some sort of discipline for that, right? The NFL forbids both choreographed and group celebrations, which are subject to 15-yard penalties and subsequent fines. Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr. both were fined for practically the same celebration earlier this season, in fact, so maybe this is some sort of elaborate protest from the Giants?

I wish as much as anyone that the league would loosen the rules on celebration and allow players to have more fun. It would make the game more entertaining, which certainly would help, given recent trends in viewership. The NFL today would outlaw Deion Sanders' trademark high-step to the end zone, for instance, which is part of the reason I fell in love with the game when I was younger.

Celebrations are good. They belong in the game. Yet the rules are the rules. Call it a cop-out if you want, but players are going to be subject to discipline if they break said rules. And in this case, a picture is worth about twelve grand.