The Most Ridiculous Sports Fines Ever

No matter who you are or how much money you have, it's never easy to write a check for doing something wrong.

Whether that's dropping $100 on a parking ticket when you were just there for a few minutes or an athlete forced to pay a big-time fine for breaking a dumb rule, giving away cash is one of the worst things ever.

Unfortunately, for sports figures, their fines aren't just a few hundred dollars, as leagues collect millions each year when a player or coach fudges up.

With some of the absurd fines us sports fans have seen over the years, here's a list of the most ridiculous, making me wonder why someone even wrote the rule to begin with.

J.R. Smith's 140-Character Fine

John Raoux/Associated Press

Current Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard J.R. Smith has had plenty of fines that were more than warranted, like when he was the bandit untying opposing players' shoes or having a little too much fun with a few extracurricular activities.

But, one fine that Smith probably shouldn't have been hit hard with was his threat on opponent Brandon Jennings—on Twitter!

After Jennings knocked J.R.'s brother, Chris, about taking a spot from players Jennings believed to be superior ballers, the sharpshooter came to his sibling's defense, taking to Twitter to respond in kind.

Never actually mentioning Jennings in any of the tweets, Smith was fined $25,000 for having his bro's back, as well as proving that anything a player tweets can hurt them.

Clinton Portis and Sean Taylor Can't Match

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Both from the University of Miami, former NFL players Clinton Portis and Sean Taylor found themselves as teammates on the Washington Redskins back in 2004, often spending lots of time around one another.

Presumably, hanging out and talking about the good ol' days as Miami Hurricanes, one of them must have come up with an idea to wear red socks during a game rather than the ones their teammates had on.

Not a huge problem, right? Not so fast, as the league punished both players for doing it in back-to-back weeks, costing them $10,000 apiece.

Just when you thought they had learned their lesson, it happened again the following season for a socks-and-shoes combo that both guys donned, violating an NFL uniform policy that seems to be way too harsh.

Andray Blatche Can't Have 'Big Balls'

Do you remember that scene in the sports flick Major League II where Isuro "Kamikazi" Tanaka calls out Pedro Cerrano for having no marbles? It's a pretty harmless dis and an even more innocent gesture.

It's too bad the NBA didn't find it as amusing.

That's because, following a big-time trey by Joe Johnson in a game a couple season's ago, JJ's teammate, Andre Blatche, was seen on the Brooklyn Nets bench doing the exact same gesture, holding the move for no longer than a few seconds.

Turns out that was enough for the big man to get served by the league, forcing him to pay $15,000 for what was described as an "obscene gesture" by the league—though, I'm sure they all laughed internally.

Tiger Woods' Cussing

One of the fiercest competitors in sports, 14-time major champion Tiger Woods holds himself to standards that are impossible to achieve for anyone.

Expecting himself to be perfect any time he takes the course, Woods is often seen yelling at himself when he hits a bad shot, which, let's be honest, about 95 percent of us do while golfing and it happens to us.

Problem is that Woods happens to have TV cameras surrounding him, picking up the slightest mumble. So, when he happens to drop some mad F bombs to voice his displeasure with an approach shot, he gets fined for it—although the exact amount is unknown since the PGA Tour doesn't disclose them.

Michael Jordan's Shoes and Jersey Number

MICHAEL CONROY/Associated Press

Generally regarded as the greatest of all time, basketball Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champ Michael Jordan was known to have a flair for the dramatic.

Whether that meant dropping a double-nickel on his longtime rival New York Knicks in the Garden or hitting a game-winner in a playoff series, MJ knew how to capture viewers' attention.

So, back in 1995, when he returned from a 16-month hiatus from hoops to play baseball, Jordan returned donning the number 45 on his jersey rather than his customary No. 23.

Although the change was a tribute to the digits that he originally wanted in high school ball, the NBA wasn't impressed by the switcheroo, as the league fined Jordan $25,000 for the jersey change, along with an additional $5,000 for wearing different colored shoes than his Chicago Bulls teammates.

Who knew that the league office had such fashion police?

Danny Ainge Throws in the Towel

Throughout the years, there have been a number of ways in which fans inside of an arena try to distract an opposing player at the free-throw line.

From balloons to those big heads to, yes, Speedo Guy, when it comes to stunts to save their favorite team some points, fans rarely have a filter.

One thing that the NBA seems to prohibit—at least by a team's executive—is throwing a towel in the air.

The Boston Celtics' President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge, discovered that during the 2010 NBA Playoffs when he did just that during a second-round matchup with the Cleveland Cavs.

With the Cavs' J.J. Hickson shooting his second free throw, Ainge's towel toss was looked at as, "an unauthorized distraction and for conduct detrimental to the game," by the league, leaving him $25,000 lighter in the wallet.

As if the fine wasn't enough, Hickson knocked the shot down anyway, making it a double whammy for Ainge.

Rory McIlroy's Club Toss

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

While I can understand that fine for the aforementioned Tiger Woods for swearing on national TV, something that I'll never understand is how a professional golfer can get fined for tossing his club out of anger.

Sure, the USGA takes a strict stance on players not acting like gentlemen while on a course, but should it cost guys thousands of dollars anytime they do it?

Not in my opinion, but, hey, who am I?

One thing that's clear is that no one is safe from such a fine, as the world's current No. 1 player, Rory McIlroy, was one of the latest victims, getting slapped with an undisclosed amount for doing it during the BMW PGA Championship.

Looks like guys will have to learn to restrain themselves like Happy Gilmore had to during that sports flick.

Pop Warner Football Team Can't Score Too Many Points

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A wise man named Herm Edwards once said, "You play to win the game."

If you ask me, doesn't that mean outscoring the opponent no matter how big the margin?

Turns out that's not what the Northern California Federation Youth Football League thinks, because the Pop Warner league actually established a rule a couple of years ago that fines teams who beat opponents by 35 or more points.

On the surface, it might seem like a good thing because it saves embarrassment from kids 7-13 years old. But, that doesn't mean parents like it, as it had been a topic of debate when it was first implemented.

Blowouts aren't fun for most people, but fining someone for running up the score? Sounds ridiculous to me.

Brian Urlacher Can't Snap That Back

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

During his 13-year NFL career, there were few people who would dare challenge former Chicago Bears All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher.

As one of the most agile and physically imposing 'backers in the league during his generation, Urlacher was known to crush any opponent who challenged him.

Unfortunately, the eight-time Pro Bowler couldn't escape the long arm of the NFL.

While at his station during Super Bowl media week in 2006, Urlacher was seen donning a vitaminwater hat, which wasn't a sponsor of the league, therefore causing a major slap on the wrist.

How much? The former Bear had to drop a ridiculous $100,000 for wearing it, making that one expensive snapback.

FIFA Doesn't Approve Nicklas Bendtner's Skivvies

When fans hear about an athlete celebrating so hard that his underwear gets exposed, most of us would think that a fine would come because he or she showed just a little bit too much for viewers, right?

Would you believe that when Danish soccer player Nicklas Bendtner did it during a match against Portugal in Euro 2012 that he got hit with a fine from UEFA for a completely different reason?

What could it be? How about a one-game suspension and about $126,000 fine for wearing the wrong brand of underwear, as Bendtner's skivvies donned a sponsor's brand name on it.

The aforementioned Urlacher's $100,000 fine for the wrong hat might have been harsh, but, for the punishment that Bendtner received, one would have thought that it was some really dirty underwear.