San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle fined by NFL for ‘F*** Dallas’ T-shirt. Does he care?
The long rivalry between the 49ers and Cowboys took a decidedly personal turn last Sunday and the man behind it all has now been made to pay for that.
It was relatively clear that there were always going to be repercussions for the star tight end’s choice in attire during his team’s clash with their eternal rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Now that he faces a fine one has to wonder, was it worth it?
NFL fines George Kittle for his “F*** Dallas” T-shirt
As we reported earlier this week, the NFL was considering leveling a fine at the San Francisco 49ers’ tight end George Kittle, after he wore a T-shirt that read “F*** Dallas” during the team’s Week 5 meeting last Sunday. That has in fact now come to pass with reports confirming that the league has fined Kittle $13,659 for the “use of abusive language” on the T-shirt that he donned under his uniform and later revealed to the crowd. Again, this is in no way a surprise as even Kittle himself admitted that he expected a fine and that moreover, he’d do it again.
“Probably to get a fine. I wore a personalized T-shirt, maybe an inappropriate word,” he said at the time. “Yeah, I mean, that’s fair. It is what it is. It was a decision I made. If they want to fine me, they fine me.” As for the ‘why’ behind his choice in fashion, Kittle explained during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday that he “might have been mildly inspired” by former 49ers linebacker Gary Plummer, a man who wore a similar shirt back in 1994 when the 49ers met the Cowboys in the NFC Championship game. “It’s just there’s some things that need to be worn for the franchise, and I think it’s just coincidence that it just happened to appear on my chest on ‘Sunday Night Football,’” he said. Incidentally, Kittle also took to social media where he posted a photo of the reveal in celebration of the victory and his 30th birthday.
Clearing the air: George Kittle doesn’t hate the Cowboys
To be fair to Kittle, the 30-year-old four-time Pro Bowler scored three touchdowns on three catches during the Niners’ 42-10 win over the Cowboys, which is to say he was sensational. Given the rivalry between the teams and his performance on the night, it’s not hard to see why he chose to reveal his T-shirt after teammate and running back Jordan Mason sealed the victory with a 26-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Yet, it’s worth noting that Kittle made it clear that he has no “animosity” toward the Cowboys, but was simply embracing the competitiveness of the eternal rivalry.
“These are two of the most storied franchises in history,” Kittle said at the time. “Dallas wins a lot of games; the 49ers win a lot of games. So when you get to meet up on ‘Sunday Night Football,’ it’s a big deal. I know our fan bases love it. We love it.”
So, what next for the 49ers and George Kittle?
While it’s still early days, the truth is that both the Niners and their star tight end are on a role at the moment. With the team one of just two teams - the Philadelphia Eagles are the other - that are still undefeated in the league, and their tight end who is on a five-year, $75 million deal playing perhaps the best football of his career so far, there is reason to be happy. Up next for the 49ers is a date with the Cleveland Browns who will be without starting quarterback Deshaun Watson who was ruled out due to a shoulder injury. That’s to say, we’re likely looking at a 6-0 record after the weekend.