NFL threatens to eject player for Muhammad Ali-inspired cleats

Antonio Brown is one of the biggest, most marketable stars in the NFL. The star wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers has the fourth-best selling jersey in the league, and he signed a deal this past season worth $10.25 million.

But that doesn’t mean he’s above the NFL’s stringent uniform policy. That fact was reinforced this past Sunday, when Brown took the field for his team’s game against the New York Jets wearing black and gold cleats paying homage to boxing legend Muhammad Ali.

After playing two series, Brown was approached by a league official, according to CBS Sports, who told him he couldn’t wear the shoes and continue to play. Brown then changed spikes and returned to the field, where he caught nine passes for 78 yards and a touchdown.

But this isn’t the first time Brown has run into trouble with the league regarding his footwear. Two weeks ago, he took the field wearing electric blue shoes bearing the faces of his four children. But the NFL didn’t appreciate the gesture, according to Brown, and they told him to change during halftime or face ejection.

And two weeks before that, Brown wore powder-blue shoes with his number, 84, on the side. The NFL let him play with those on, but fined him afterwards.

So why does Brown continue to defy the league and risk both pay and playing time?

Well, first of all, because Brown couldn’t care less about nitpicky rules.

But it’s also worth noting that Brown actually wore a pair of cleats honoring another sports legend, golfer Arnold Palmer, last week, and the NFL permitted him to play and did not fine him.

The assumption last week was that Brown got away with the shoes because they were black and gold, the colors of his team, the Steelers, and NFL rules allow for team colors, whereas his other shoes incorporated blue.

But that makes the league’s disapproval of the Ali cleats all the more confusing, because they were also black and gold. The NFL has not immediately responded to a request for comment.

Of course, none of this is the first time the NFL has cracked down on a player trying to pay tribute to what most consider a worthy cause. In 2015, Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams was told by the league that he could not wear pink accessories throughout the year. Williams wanted to do so in order to honor his mother, who died of breast cancer. Instead, Williams dyed the tips of his hair pink, a tribute he continues today.

This story was originally published October 10, 2016 at 7:51 AM with the headline "NFL threatens to eject player for Muhammad Ali-inspired cleats."