Marshawn Lynch drew criticism from some and praise from others for his lack of cooperation with reporters at Media Day, but it was his hat that could earn him a hefty fine, according to ESPN.
Super Bowl 2015: Marshawn Lynch could get fined for ‘Beast Mode’ hat
Marshawn Lynch said he was only at Media Day so he won’t get fined, but he might receive a fine anyway for the hat he was wearing.
Adam Schefter and Darren Rovell report the "Beast Mode" hat worn by Lynch on Media Day could conflict with the league's policy against promoting a brand that wasn't first approved by the NFL. Former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher received a $100,000 fine eight years ago for wearing a Vitaminwater hat at the Media Day podium prior to Super Bowl XLI, which conflicted with the league's official deal with Gatorade.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was also the recipient of a similar fine in 2014 for wearing Beats headphones in October. He followed that by wearing the same headphones in the following week with tape covering the Beats logo.
The difference for Lynch is that his hat was created by New Era, the official hat of the NFL, and it was just the promotion of his personal brand that is in question.
Lynch has received many fines from the NFL recently, including fines of $11,050 and $20,000 for crotch grab celebrations, and a fine of $100,000 for not talking to the media earlier in the season.
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