20 Hilarious Sports Incidents That Were Totally Worth the Fine

There are a lot of things players get fined for that draw the well-earned consternation of fans.

Ill-timed penalties that extend game-winning drives, technical fouls that get a player ejected in the final minutes or a power play in overtime—these are just a few of the consequences that result from bad decisions by athletes.

But, sometimes players do things finable that don't hurt anyone but the chumps who take it too seriously.

Maybe they break the strangely arbitrary rules of the NFL's uniform policy or hilariously flout rules about flopping that you can't help but appreciate their art—because it is an art, if you do it right. It's all about the context.

Are their actions wrong within the context of the sport? Absolutely; thus, the fine. That doesn't mean we can't appreciate the awesomeness of their ballsiness.

These are some of the greatest sports incidents that were totally worth the fine. 

J.R. Smith, New York Knicks

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Date: March 2013 

Fine: $25,000

The Knicks' J.R. Smith was fined for posting a very…bootylicious…photo of Joe Budden’s ex-girlfriend on Twitter. We can’t post the photo here, but you can check it out over at Black Sports Online (NSFW). 

Stevie Johnson, Buffalo Bills

Date: November 2010 

Fine: $5,000

Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson was fined for mocking (then) Bengals receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, who at the time considered themselves the NFL’s Batman and Robin. After scoring a touchdown, Johnson lifted up his jersey to reveal a T-shirt that said “Why so serious?”

Bob Hartley, Calgary Flames

Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images

Date: January 2014

Fine: $25,000

Flames coach Bob Hartley was fined for instigating the mostly ridiculously hilarious—yet extremely sad—brawl in the history of the NHL. He started a line of goons against the Canucks, and Vancouver’s coach John Tortorella obviously followed suit. 

Wes Welker, Denver Broncos

Ed Andrieski/Associated Press

Date: December 2011

Fine: $10,000

Then-Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker was fined by the NFL for wearing a “@Bonk_Breaker” hat during a postgame interview. Not only is the name of the company goofy, but Welker’s tweet “thanking” the NFL for not warning him the 16 weeks prior was even goofier. 

James Harden, Houston Rockets

Date: November 2013

Fine: $5,000

The Rockets James Harden was the first player fined for flopping this season, and his acting job against the Clippers' Blake Griffin certainly falls into the “so bad it’s good” category. Flops in the NBA are super obnoxious in the playoffs, but they’re pretty funny before Christmas. 

Jason Tarver, Oakland Raiders

YouTube via CBS Sports

Date: October 2013

Fine: ?

Raiders defensive coordinator Jason Tarver was fined an undisclosed amount for flipping the bird to the officials during a game (which they won) against the Steelers. It was a home game, so you know the home crowd was forever endeared to him. 

Chuck Cecil, St. Louis Rams

YouTube

Date: October 2010

Fine: $40,000

Titans defensive coordinator at the time, Chuck Cecil was fined a very hefty amount for objecting to a penalty against the Broncos in his own special way. Cecil’s flip of the bird was one of the most adamant and hilarious in recent memory. 

Chris Perez, Los Angeles Dodgers

David Richard/Associated Press

Date: September 2013

Fine: $250 

Former Indians pitcher Chris Perez was fined and sentenced to one year of probation after pleading no contest to mailing a package containing nine ounces of weed to his dog. He may have been busted by the fuzz and never got his weed, but that’s one heckuva a story to tell at parties. 

Armond Smith, Carolina Panthers

ESPN

Date: August 2013

Fine: $15,000

Panthers running back Armond Smith was fined for kicking the Ravens' Albert McClelland square in the groin after a tackle. He may have regretted the fine in retrospect, but there’s something inexplicably hilarious about a dude getting kicked in the groin. 

Ask America’s Funniest Home Videos about that. That show has literally been on for decades and capitalized on that very act. 

Jason Kidd, Brooklyn Nets

Date: November 2013

Fine: $50,000

Nets coach Jason Kidd started off his first season behind the bench pretty terribly, the most hilariously stupid incident being his infamous “accidental” soda spill during a game against the Lakers right before Thanksgiving. Kidd later admitted it was intentional and probably doesn’t think the fine was “worth it,” but we do. 

Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers

Date: November 2013

Fine: $100,000

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was fined for (what appeared to be him deliberately) stepping into the path of Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones during a kickoff return on Thanksgiving Day. Tomlin denied any intent, but the mischievous look on his face really said it all. 

Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Date: January 2014

Fine: $50,000

Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch was fined by the NFL for being inaccessible to the media for the vast majority of the 2013 season. The long stretches of radio silence make for really hilarious moments when he actually does choose to speak. 

Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic

Date: January 2014

Fine: $15,000

The Magic’s Jameer Nelson was fined for a celebration that was an homage to retired baller Sam Cassell. He later apologized for the “obscene” demonstration. 

Marco Belinelli, San Antonio Spurs

Date: May 2013

Fine: $15,000

Then-Bulls guard Marco Belinelli also got fined for his “big balls” celebration. And it was also totally worth it. Thanks, dude. 

Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers

Date: October 2012

Fine: $10,000

Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was fined for running into the end zone backwards after breaking a punt return and scoring a touchdown against the Redskins. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said it wasn’t “respectful,” which is obviously code for hilarious. 

Mississippi State

Date: December 2013

Fine: $25,000

Mississippi State was fined because their fans have a fever—and the only prescription is more cowbell. In essence, they were fined for excessive cowbell. Which is awesome.

J.R. Smith, New York Knicks

Date: January 2014

Fine: $50,000

The Knicks' J.R. Smith was fined for “recurring instances of unsportsmanlike conduct,” which is apparently what the NBA classifies untying someone else’s shoes as. Worth it (for him—not for me. I’m very poor). 

Lance Moore and Kenny Stills, New Orleans Saints

Date: December 2013

Fine: ?

Lance Moore and Kenny Stills were both fined an undisclosed amount for a touchdown celebration that paid homage to Hingle McCringleberry, a character on Comedy Central’s Key and Peele. Whatever the fine was, it was well worth it. 

Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Date: January 2014

Fine: $100,000 

Mark Cuban, the billionaire bad boy (that’s from Shark Tank, not from me) of the Dallas Mavericks, was recently in the market for a parting gift from outgoing NBA commissioner David Stern. The parting gift being one last fine to add to the hundreds of thousands he’d already incurred over his tenure. 

Why? Because f**k you, that’s why! That’s why Cuban is amazing and the rest of us are all just living in his amazingly sizable shadow. 

Stevie Johnson, Buffalo Bills

Date: December 2011

Fine: $10,000

Bills wide receiver Stevie Johnson was fined for mocking (then) Jets receiver Plaxico Burress during a touchdown celebration. Johnson pretended to shoot himself in the leg, as Burress infamously did a few years earlier while with the Giants.