During a press conference on Monday, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell seemed to call out the NFL for its hypocritical actions following a fine to Jameson Williams.
Toward the end of the press conference, Campbell was asked about a celebration during Week 12’s win over the Indianapolis Colts. After a touchdown, running back Jahmyr Gibbs paid tribute to NBA legend Allen Iverson. Gibbs, playing the role of Iverson, pantomimed Allen Iverson’s crossover and jumper in Game 1 of the 2001 NBA Finals before stepping over teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown, playing the role of Tyronn Lue.
During the conversation (which begins at the 9:50 mark of the video below), the reporter mentioned “The league lets it happen,” which Campbell quickly responded to.
“Depends on what that is,” Campbell said. “Whether the league lets it happen, right? They’ll use whatever they need to. The content.”
This is almost certainly a reference to a fine Detroit receiver Jameson Williams received for a celebration during Week 11’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On Saturday, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reported that the league fined Williams for a gesture he made while going into the end zone. For those who haven’t seen it, Williams, while grabbing his crotch, turned around and leaped backward into the end zone — a celebration made famous by Marshawn Lynch.
The NFL fined #Lions WR Jameson Williams $19,697 for unsportsmanlike conduct (obscene gestures) — his, uh, tribute to Marshawn Lynch last week.pic.twitter.com/70VYhAbZzr
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 23, 2024
As Campbell noted, while the NFL was willing to fine Williams nearly $20,000 for the gesture, the league had no issue using Jameson’s celebration as the thumbnail for the game’s official highlight reel, posted on the NFL YouTube page.
NFL uses Jameson Williams’ Marshawn Lynch touchdown celebration as the thumbnail for their Jags/Lions highlights video
NFL then fines Jameson Williams $19,697 for the gesture
Today, #Lions HC Dan Campbell called the league out for their hypocrisy https://t.co/nWYVVvIWIc pic.twitter.com/j4LN9XxOeM
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) November 26, 2024
Regardless of what one might feel about Williams’ celebration or even if he should have been fined for it, that is a confusing message being sent by the league.
[Detroit Lions/NFL on YouTube, Tom Pelissero/The Coachspeak Index on X]
