3. The NFL Responds to Urlacher’s Hat Selection

Year of Penalty: 2006
Estimated Penalty Total: $100,000*
The fact that former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was fined $100,000 by the NFL for donning the incorrect hat is absurd. This is especially true considering that football players typically wear helmets instead of hats. However, that is precisely what transpired when Urlacher wore a snapback hat during a news conference featuring the Vitaminwater Brand, which at the time was not an NFL sponsor.

NFL Responds to Urlacher’s Hat Selection (Graham Bensinger/YouTube)
If he chose to wear a Dick’s jersey on the field rather than the gear provided by the league, that would make sense, but it seems a bit excessive to pay $100,000 to wear a hat of your choice at a news conference.