Via his Twitter account on Tuesday, Steelers DE Cam Heyward announced an agreement with the NFL regarding two weeks of fines he has received from the NFL for his Ironhead eye black message, which he wore as an honor to his father who passed away from brain cancer. Being that October is breast cancer awareness month and the Shield has taken part by promoting their Crucial Catch campaign ($85 Mens Crucial Catch [*Redacted] s Sweatshirt available here with 100% of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society), critics of the league have been quick to point out the seeming contradiction in Pinking Out the league but fining Heyward and, in a separate instance, ruling that RB DeAngelo Williams may not wear pink outside of October to honor his mother, who passed away from breast cancer.
The settlement between Heyward and the NFL essentially boils down to:
1. Heyward stops wearing messages on his eye black and gets back in uniform.
2. The NFL knocks down his fines for the two weeks of uniform violations to nominal figure.
3. A partnership with eyeblack.com has been established where 50% of the revenue from orders using the code Ironhead will be donated to Heyward’s foundation, The Heyward House.
With the agreement, Heyward gets to further a worthwhile cause and the NFL gets to uphold their uniform policy without another embarrassing PR scandal. For my two cents, I would have liked to see Heyward hold out and fight the good fight but who am I to talk? I’m selfish. So good on him for at least using his leverage to get some of that cancer money that may otherwise be going to pinkwashing campaigns and funneling it to resources that directly support patients and their families.
But given that the Steelers pulled off unexpected victories over the Chargers and my Arizona Cardinals (two of the NFL’s five Big C teams) during the Ironhead era, I’ll be glad to know that Heyward’s good luck eye black won’t be a factor if the teams meet in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXXX.
http://33.media.tumblr.com/4d721c138f0fbb85506f441bfd48f524/tumblr_n7asw7DQ3N1qjnpjio1_1280.gif
I’ll be impressed when he writes “ROZELLE” on his eyeblack.
Wait, there’s a BRAIN cancer too? I only just became aware of BREAST cancer sometime this month and now you’re telling me there are two types of cancer?
“Sigh.”
– Nate Solder
That settles it. Clearly we need less research and more awareness.
I reserve comment until I hear from Zest.
https://youtu.be/pQm1_ff5Pb0
“The commercial that brought Michael Sam to football.”
-Tony Dungy
Would you care for a cold, refreshing Shasta Cola?
Just had a long, emotional piece on Craig Heyward, his sickness and the role he played in my becoming a neuro-ophthalmologist spiked by whatever malevolent force controls this site on iPad Safari.
Shorter:
1. The NFL got it right. If it’s in the CBA, it’s the rules, and not all causes are good.
V} Craig Heyward was doomed to die from the chondroidal chordoma that killed him.
+) Learning about Mr. Heyward’s case and meeting him is why I chose my specialty.
Hope this posts!
My Christian friends/family would nod and say, “see, that’s why God gives people horrible diseases!” To inspire others!
As much as I understand your point #1, I think it’s goddamn ridiculous that the NFL legislates what you can and can’t put on your fake eye-black strips. Would they go after Tebus for his John 3:16 crap? (I hope the answer is “Hell yes!”) But that prompts another question: does the NFL have a tattoo policy?
I think the NFL uniform policy is pretty bullshit. Guys getting fined for having too much of one of their team colors on their shoes (Stafford), having their socks fall down (Devin Hester), untucking their jerseys, etc.
I understand the need to have a certain image and apply the rules consistently, but there is a giant stick up the NFL’s ass, and it doesn’t belong to Michael Sam.
I’m assuming the eyeblack rule came from Reggie Bush putting his area code on his in college, and then everyone copied him (or was he copying someone else? proabably). The risk for the NFL, of course, was the eventuality of a player putting nike or addidas or goldenpalace.com or some other unapproved sponsor on theirs.
Addidas eyeblack goes great with my Nkie sandals!
http://www.china-mike.com/wp-content/gallery/fake-chinese-brands/nkie.jpg
Most workplaces have some form of dress requirement.
The No Fun League is no different.
I can understand the need to enforce the rules, and I’m actually glad that Heyward *didn’t* fight this, because it pretty much shows it’s about more than him. He made his point, it was noticed, move on. The NFL lowering the fine saves them some face, and the Eyeblack folks stepped up in a big way. Pretty much a decent move all around, which is unheard of these days.
Also: that is legitimately a cool story.
At least they didn’t make him get pink eye for the rest of the month.
Goodell gave him the stink eye,
Heyward told him to shove it up his brown eye,
The ref’s flag made Orlando Brown ‘Old One-Eye’,
Being kept in the dark and fed horseshit makes you a fungi!
Scott Baio has the sads.
The last incident of pinkwashing in my household led to me spending a harrowing week in an insane asylum. The upside is that I got this certificate!
Bob Costas disapproves of all this pinkwashing
Christie Canyon was great in PINKING OUT.
But I preferred Serenity in PINKWASHING