‘Well worth it’: 49ers star Nick Bosa responds after NFL fines him for wearing MAGA hat

After the NFL responded to a player’s on-field support for a presidential candidate, he pointed to the American people when questioned about the fine.

“It was well worth it.”

Readily considered a “landslide” providing a mandate for President-elect Donald Trump as he returns to Washington, D.C. in January, support for the GOP leader had clearly been established. The roughly 75 million Americans who’d turned out for the president were who San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa turned to after getting slapped with a five-figure penalty for donning a MAGA hat on the field.

Reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “NFL fined 49ers DE Nick Bosa $11,255 for wearing a MAGA hat during last Sunday night’s postgame interview on NBC. Bosa told reporters that he knew the NFL might fine him, but it was ‘worth it.'”

Later, former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines shared the San Francisco star’s response to the press after accruing the over $11,000 fine as he said, “It was well worth it.”

“I don’t think my position on speaking about it is gonna change. So, clearly the nation spoke and we got what we got,” added Bosa.

Reports had indicated that the defensemen had violated Rule 5, Section 4, Article 8 on personal messages that stated, “Throughout the period on game day that a player is visible to the stadium and television audience (including in pregame warm-ups, in the bench area, and during postgame interviews in the locker room or on the field), players are prohibited from wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages either in writing or illustration, unless such message has been approved in advance by the League office.”

The rule further stated, “The League will not gran permission for any club or player to wear, display, or otherwise convey message, through helmet decals, arm bands, jersey patches, mouthpieces, or other items affixed to game uniforms or equipment, which relate to political activities or causes, other non-football events, causes or campaigns, or charitable causes or campaigns.”

As had been reported, Bosa had appeared during the postgame interview of Oct. 27 Sunday Night Football matchup between the 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys, pointing to his “Make America Great Again” hat as NBC’s Melissa Stark interviews Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Isaac Guerendo.

Following the brief appearance, the league had declined to suspend the defensive end with only days remaining before the election.

The on-field hat was not the first time that the 49er had showed support for Trump, as previously he had been seen ringside with the president and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow at UFC 299 in Miami, Florida in March.

Reports of the penalty accrued by Bosa left many turning to the myriad other political messages that found approval on the gridiron, most notably kneeling for the national anthem which had spawned performances of the “black national anthem” before games.

Kevin Haggerty

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