49ers' Kyle Juszczyk wins appeal on $15K fine for 'offensive' drinking celebration

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk will not have to pay a nearly $15,000 fine the NFL slapped him with following a touchdown celebration that the league initially dubbed an "offensive demonstration."

The celebration

The backstory:

Juszczyk was initially fined $14,926 after the NFL interpreted his drinking celebration during the 49ers’ Sept. 23 match against the Miami Dolphins as an "imitation of chugging a beer." 

The football league said his actions on the field violated Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1(b), which bans "abusive, threatening or insulting language or gestures to opponents, teammates, officials, or representatives of the League."

But ESPN reported Wednesday that an appeals officer rescinded the penalty after determining that the celebration was "simulating drinking a juice box."

The other side:

Juszczyk, a Harvard University graduate, typically goes by the nickname "Juice," a phonetic play on his last name. 

After the fines were issued, he said the touchdown celebration was simply an homage to the "Juice" nickname, adding, "I don’t even drink beer."

ESPN added in its reporting that, during the appeal process, Juszczyk said "the fine is hypocritical with the amount of Bud Light sponsorships surrounding the NFL."

Anheuser-Busch is the official beer of the NFL, and their major brand, Bud Light, serves the official beer of the NFL under an agreement through next year. As part of that deal, the beer has agreements with over two dozen players, featuring them in ads across national content and campaigns.

Taking it in stride

Neither Juszczyk nor the 49ers organization provided statements in the wake of the successful appeal.

However, Juszczyk appeared to treat the situation with humor, partnering with Ocean Spray to give away 14,926 bottles of juice – matching the dollar amount of the ultimately rescinded fine.

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