Thanksgiving weekend was also a time for the giving of various violent gestures during NFL games.
Of a whopping 31 fines levied by the league for Week 13, five were for use of the hands in a way that connotes antisocial behavior.
The league dinged Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Bucky Irving for $14,491 and $6,349, respectively, for a touchdown celebration that included the no-no “nose wipe” gesture. (They weren’t penalized for it.)
The league prohibited the “nose wipe” earlier this year.
“[The nose wipe] has gang connotations; it’s disrespectful,” NFL executive V.P. of football operations Troy Vincent said when the gesture was banned. “It’s just where we are in society. Young men, they come from that era, from that age, and they’ve grown up on social media. If anybody Goggled ‘nose wipe,’ you’ll see the language that is used and where that’s affiliated. I think the players know better. I know they know better.
Also fined for violent gestures were Steelers receiver DK Metcalf ($14,491), Texans receiver Nico Collins ($14,491), and Raiders cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly ($5,722).
All fines are subject to appeal. The results of the appeals are not announced. It’s also unknown whether those who win their appeals celebrate with a nose wipe celebration.
