Photo Credits: Wikimedia
NFL player Demario Davis, a linebacker and captain for the New Orleans Saints, was fined for wearing a headband that read "Man of God" which was visible even during the game. Davis was fined $7,017 for the infraction because he wore a personal message and that violate the NFL's policy. After the fine he posted a picture with headband on Instagram asking if he should continue to wear it despite the fine. According to NFL rules if he wears it again, the second offense would cost him $14,037 but he did not wear it during the Saints' next game against Dallas Cowboys.
The fine was perceived by some as he was punished for being Christian not because he broke the NFL rules regardless of the message that was written on his headband. There are those who are treating Davis like a martyr for the faith. As Patheos reports; politician, Christian minister and an ex governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee twitted " Why so many empty seats at NFL games? Players who show disrespect for flag & anthem are defended by NFL & get Nike contracts, but players who express their faith get fined big $$ for “personal messages.” He was referring to Colin Kaepernick who expressed his protest by kneeling during the US National Anthem.
Another message of support for Davis came from St. Louis King of France Catholic School in New Orleans, where students wore headbands that said “Child of God.” What was wrong in this is that those children were trying to show solidarity with someone who broke the rules and that is not a good example for the children.
Anyway, it looks like Davis is eventually going to avoid the fine and he is going to overturn this situation to his advantage. According to Patheos, Davis said that his appeal was successful and that he won't have to pay the fine. He is going to donate the amount of the fine to a Catholic hospital in Louisiana together with another $30,000 he raised by selling his headband. Even though donations and charity work are always welcome, the question why was his fine overturned still remains. If the message said something like "God doesn't exist" would the NFL decide not to fine him in the end? Once again a guy who broke the rule is getting away with it just because of Christian privilege while others would certainly be punished if the message was not promoting Christianity.
