The New Orleans Saints took down the Atlanta Falcons 23-13 in a big NFC South showdown on Christmas Eve. In that game, the Saints' electric rookie running back Alvin Kamara rushed 12 times for 32 yards. Though he also caught seven balls for 58 yards, his below-standard performance devastated fantasy owners (while elating their competition).
During the game, Kamara also sported red Adidas cleats in honor of the holiday. This violated the NFL's cleat policy, so sure enough, the 22-year-old received a letter informing him he had been fined on Thursday.
The former Tennessee Volunteer posted a photo of the letter on Twitter and added that he planned to start a GoFundMe to cover its cost.
He also said if there's any extra money that rolls in, he'll donate it to charity.
Was this a joke? Who knows? But really, what is the league going to do—send him another fine for starting a GoFundMe?
A typical first-time uniform infraction runs players a little more than $6,000. Kamara is currently on a 4-year, $3.8 million deal, which sounds like a lot of money but, relative to his output and the salaries of other running backs in the NFL (Jacksonville's Chris Ivory, for example, is currently playing on a five-year, $32 million contract), it's quite a small sum.
The Saints have clinched a spot in the playoffs and control their own destiny in the NFC South—if they win this weekend at Tampa Bay, they win the division. That game, like all others with playoff implications, will be played at 4:25 p.m. EST.