Thread: NFL fines Cameron Heyward for honoring his father Ironhead, who died from cancer

October is the month where the NFL shows how much it cares by having players wear pink to show their support for breast cancer. But the NFL won't allow Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward to honor his father, who lost a battle with cancer in 2006.

Heyward tweeted Wednesday that he had been fined by the NFL. Not for causing an injury with a helmet-to-helmet blow, and not for criticizing the officials. He was fined for putting the message "Iron Head" on his eye black.

The message was a tribute to his father Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, who spent 11 years in the NFL as a fullback, most notably with New Orleans and Atlanta. Heyward died of bone cancer at the age of 39, when Cam was only 17.

rest - plus picture showing what it looked like.
http://www.sbnation.com/2015/10/14/9...ronhead-cancer

This is TOTALLY ridiculous that he got fined for that.

from same article:

The heartless decisions toward Heyward and Williams will only fuel the fire of criticism about the NFL's "Pink October" campaign. In 2013, Business Insider found that only that only 8.01 percent of the money raised by the sale of pink-themed merchandise goes to cancer research.

Also, as the two Steelers learned, the NFL only allows players to visibly support cancer victims if it matches their merchandise sales -- so it has to be breast cancer and it has to be in October.

http://www.sbnation.com/2015/10/14/9...ronhead-cancer

Adam Schefter ‏@AdamSchefter 9m

NFL fined Cam Heyward exactly $5,787 for displaying personal message on his eye black, even if it was a tribute to his father, “Iron Head”.

What a joke

This is kinda a click-baity title. Given that he probably didn't ask for an exception beforehand, they have to follow the rules and fine him.

We've gone over this with other things. Players can't simply wear what they want, when they want, purely because its "giving honor" to someone. He had to have known he was going to be fined, and figured he would pay the lesser fine rather than ask, be denied, and then be fined more for doing it anyway.

I'd pay $5,800 to honor my Dad or Mom.

Originally Posted by Ravage!!!

We've gone over this with other things. Players can't simply wear what they want, when they want, purely because its "giving honor" to someone. He had to have known he was going to be fined, and figured he would pay the lesser fine rather than ask, be denied, and then be fined more for doing it anyway.

From article - you really don't think the following is the reason why?

Also, as the two Steelers learned, the NFL only allows players to visibly support cancer victims if it matches their merchandise sales -- so it has to be breast cancer and it has to be in October.

Also - he had his father's name on his eye black. Who would have even noticed that?

Carol, it's against the rules to have anything written on your eyeblack. I don't see what's so difficult to understand about that. You are painting it like they punished him for honoring his dad. That's not what they did. It doesn't matter what the message is, putting words on eyeblack is against the rules.

Originally Posted by BroncoWave

Carol, it's against the rules to have anything written on your eyeblack. I don't see what's so difficult to understand about that. You are painting it like they punished him for honoring his dad. That's not what they did. It doesn't matter what the message is, putting words on eyeblack is against the rules.

Thanks Tim Tebow

They're punishing him for honoring his father in a minute and discreet manor. The league takes itself too seriously, and before we get into that slippery slope argument, small gestures like these are far from a distraction. That slope isn't slippery. It's not even really a slope.

Originally Posted by King87

They're punishing him for honoring his father in a minute and discreet manor. The league takes itself too seriously, and before we get into that slippery slope argument, small gestures like these are far from a distraction. That slope isn't slippery. It's not even really a slope.

Give them an inch, they'll take a mile though.

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

Give them an inch, they'll take a mile though.

Honoring parents today, Satan tomorrow. Fact.

Originally Posted by BroncoJoe

Give them an inch, they'll take a mile though.

Eh. If those people (and you might not be one of them I'm just making a point) want to say that giving up nothing can be enforced, then allowing small things like like, or shoes, can be legislated into the rules. This isn't a dichotomy.

Originally Posted by King87

Eh. If those people (and you might not be one of them I'm just making a point) want to say that giving up nothing can be enforced, then allowing small things like like, or shoes, can be legislated into the rules. This isn't a dichotomy.

Personally, I don't see a problem with it, but I do know that players will push the limits. I understand why they allow zero deviations from the dress code.