Unsportsmanlike conduct? NFL does about-face on Marshawn crotch-grab merchandise
Jan 26, 2015, 2:17 PM | Updated: 4:43 pm
Marshawn Lynch’s propensity for grabbing his crotch continues to draw the eye and ire of the NFL, but it didn’t stop the league from selling a picture of his most recent incident.
In what Deadspin is calling the latest example of the league’s “hypocrisy,” a number of people discovered over the weekend a framed collage of memorable moments from the Seahawks NFC Championship win over the Packers was selling on the official NFL Shop website. It included a shot of Lynch grabbing his crotch after scoring in the game.
Related: Reports say the NFL has fined Lynch for crotch grab
The limited edition print was on sale despite the fact the league fined Lynch $20,000 for the move and warned the team it’ll face a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct if he does it in the Super Bowl, ProFootballTalk first reported last week.
The penalty would be enforced on the ensuing kickoff, so it wouldn’t cost the Seahawks a touchdown, but they’d have to kick off from the 20 instead of the 35.
As for the print, an NFL spokesman told ESPN it shouldn’t have been licensed and allowed to be sold on the official site.
“Any play that results in a fine may not be used commercially,” Brian McCarthy said.
A listing for the collage says it is “out of stock.”
