In the third quarter of their 37-16 win over the New York Jets on Nov. 13, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady and emphatically spiked the football. The officials felt it happened a little too close to a Jets defender, and hit him with personal foul for unsportsmanlike conduct.
But the punishment didn't end there: The NFL hit Gronkowski with a $7,500 fine for the TD celebration, because it's the No Fun League.
Michael A. Mudd, president of the American Hockey League's Worcester Sharks, saw the fine and, in turn, saw opportunity. The San Jose Sharks' AHL affiliate has offered to cover Gronkowski's fine … if Gronkowski agrees to attend a Sharks game against the Providence Bruins on Feb. 24, 2012 and "spike a ceremonial puck" before faceoff.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Hockey-team-will-pay-Gronkowski-8217-s-NFL-fine;_ylt=AvgpsvVag_jm3YguE4p6LZM5nYcB?urn=nhl-wp17828]sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Hockey-team-will-pay-Gronkowski-8217-s-NFL-fine;_ylt=AvgpsvVag_jm3YguE4p6LZM5nYcB?urn=nhl-wp17828[/url]
But the punishment didn't end there: The NFL hit Gronkowski with a $7,500 fine for the TD celebration, because it's the No Fun League.
Michael A. Mudd, president of the American Hockey League's Worcester Sharks, saw the fine and, in turn, saw opportunity. The San Jose Sharks' AHL affiliate has offered to cover Gronkowski's fine … if Gronkowski agrees to attend a Sharks game against the Providence Bruins on Feb. 24, 2012 and "spike a ceremonial puck" before faceoff.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Hockey-team-will-pay-Gronkowski-8217-s-NFL-fine;_ylt=AvgpsvVag_jm3YguE4p6LZM5nYcB?urn=nhl-wp17828]sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Hockey-team-will-pay-Gronkowski-8217-s-NFL-fine;_ylt=AvgpsvVag_jm3YguE4p6LZM5nYcB?urn=nhl-wp17828[/url]