San Francisco 49ers' quarterback Colin Kaepernick had to pay the NFL $10,000 for wearing pink Beats by Dre headphones during a postgame conference on Sunday.
Yahoo Sports said that the NFL has recently inked a deal with Bose headphones and in effect banning players from using other headphone brands during postgame interviews.
This agreement became a concern for some NFL players who are known to be using the very popular headphones, the report added.
Kaepernick, who is born to an American mother and a father of African-American descent, also happens to be one of the biggest endorsers of Beats and also acts as the brand's spokesperson. USA Today said that he was one of the athletes who appeared in the Beats by Dre commercial to Aloe Blacc's song "The Man" released last year and has been widely associated to the brand since then.
Kaepernick is certainly a go-to athlete for such commercials as he is a continuously excelling NFL player. ESPN said that he demonstrated his talent during his team's recent victory against the Kansas City Chiefs, noting that Kaepernick was 6-of-10 passing for 129 yards.
With the current regulation, it can be expected that Kaepernick, along with other Beats ambassadors, will continue to wear their branded headphones and just pay the fine slapped at them.
This may also be his way of protesting the NFL's new deal and making a stand in what he believes in. It will be interesting to find out in the coming days if other NFL players will also do the same or if they will abide with the NFL ruling.
This advertising battle, according to Yahoo Sports, is a recurring trend in the NFL, which has been accustomed to handing out fines to their players who wear banned gear "before, during or after the games."
A CNET report said that it is still unclear whether Kaepernick will pay the fine himself or have it shouldered by Beats.
When asked about the payment, Kaepernick simply replied, "We'll let that be unanswered."
