Corny

The NFL can't seem to get out of it's own way.


For the last couple of years, the league uses the month of October to emphasize breast cancer awareness. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 231,000 women will be diagnosed with this cancer this year alone. The good news is that there are 2.8 million survivors as of this post. In addition, this week is also male breast cancer awareness week.


The league decks the league out in it's secure masculine best. Here are just a few of the things that they display:

Game balls with pink ribbon decals used for every down and pink kicking tees

Pink equipment for players including: cleats, wristbands, gloves, sideline caps, helmet decals, captains' patches, chin straps, shoe laces, skull caps, sideline towels, eye shield decals and quarterback towels

Pink Bose headsets for coaches

Pink coins used for the coin toss

Team specific New Era hats with pink accents for coaches and sideline personnel

Pink ribbon pins for coaches and teams

Pink caps, wristbands, whistles and pins for game officials

On-field pink ribbon stencils and A Crucial Catch wall banners

Pink goal post padding in end zones

Breast cancer awareness pompoms, shirts and wristbands for cheerleaders   

Since 2009, the league has donated more than seven million dollars to this cause.


DeAngelo Williams is a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This cause is even closer to home for him. Four of his aunts as well as his mother succumbed to this disease. In a tribute to them, he has died his hair pink as well as painted his toenails pink to bring attention to this cause.  He asked the league if he could do this for the entire year. I'm sure he thought that he would be just a formality.


The league, citing it's personal message policy, denied his request. The part that caught my eye was, "...The League will not grant permission for any club or player to wear, display, or otherwise convey messages, through helmet decals, arm bands, jersey patches, 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."


Huh? What just happened?


Williams decided that he would streak his hair pink to continue the tribute.


Issue#2. Cameron Heyward is the son of former NFL player Craig "Ironhead" Heyward. "Ironhead" died of a different type of cancer (brain) in 2006. As a tribute to him, Cameron wrote "Ironhead" in eye black under his eyes every game day. This past week, he was fined $11,576 by the league and would be fined the same amount every additional week he did it.  Cameron turned his lemons into lemonade by forming a partnership with the company EyeBlack.com to create the Heyward House, where contributions will be made to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation.


Players shouldn't have to deal with things like this to pay tributes to their loved ones. If I didn't know better, I'd think that the league was in it just for the money.