NEWS
Was Travis Kelce Fined 10 Million USD for Kneeling During the National Anthem?
Was Travis Kelce Fined 10 Million USD for Kneeling During the National Anthem?
Fact-checking a Facebook post saying Kansas City Travis Kelce was fined USD 10 million and kicked out of a game for kneeling during the national anthem.
By
SUYASH SINHA
Published on Aug 24, 2024 | 04:31 PM IST | 9.1K
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Source: Getty Images
Travis Kelce
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Recently, a post appeared on Facebook that featured two images: one of Kansas City star tight end Travis Kelce kneeling and the other of Kansas City standing for the national anthem. The image’s caption says, “Travis Kelce Kneels During National Anthem, Fined $10 Million, and Kicked Out Of Game.”
The image was first uploaded on Facebook on August 19th, and it was shared over 4,000 times within three days. Similar versions were also extensively shared on Facebook. So was the world’s greatest tight end. Travis Kelce was fined $10 million for kneeling during the national anthem, according to a Facebook post.
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Actually, no, it is not true. This narrative started with a piece on SpaceXMania, a self-described fake news website renowned for posting humorous content. There is no publicly accessible or trustworthy evidence to back up the story.
According to Lead Stories, a reverse image search found that the claim originated in a satirical piece published by SpaceXMania in October 2023; however, the Facebook post did not include a disclaimer indicating that it came from a humorous article. SpaceXMania describes itself as a ‘false news’ website.
USA Today further clarified the situation and confirmed that the allegation started as a parody months ago, even though the Facebook post makes no mention of this. There are no reliable reports from 2024 that Kelce kneeled during the anthem, was ejected, or was punished for any reason.
According to USA Today, Tim Lawson, who publishes SpaceXMania, verified that the tale is fiction. The first comment on the Facebook post refers to an article written on a disreputable website that is practically a word-for-word replica of one published by SpaceXMania on October 19, 2023, and is designated as a parody.
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USA Today also described how and when the photographs included in the piece were shot. According to them, the photo of Kelce kneeling in the Facebook post was taken in 2018 during a training camp session, not before a game. While there is no solid proof that Kelce kneeled during the anthem before either of the Chiefs’ first two preseason games in 2024, he did participate in the 2017 protest alongside his teammates.
Colin Kapernick began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality, which grew into a global movement; Colin was eventually kicked out of the league. A year later, in 2018, the NFL implemented a policy that prohibited players from kneeling during the national anthem but allowed them to remain in the locker room during it. The league then overturned the decision in 2020.
Considering the claims of a fine of 10 million USD and being thrown out of the game, USA Today said Kelce has only been removed from a game once in his career, in a 2016 victory against Jacksonville, for throwing a towel at a game official while challenging a call. According to Spotrac’s database of player penalties, the $24,000 punishment he got is still the highest in his career.
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While the claimed $10 million fine mentioned in the piece would be double the magnitude of the highest player fine in NFL history, DeShaun Watson, the Cleveland Browns quarterback, was fined $5 million as part of a settlement involving sexual assault complaints from two dozen female massage therapists. No other players have been penalized more than $1 million.
CELEBRITY
Angry Patrick Mahomes says he will LEAVE the NFL and accuses the NFL of risking player safety before huge run of Chiefs games “If there’s no changes, I will leave” – Full Story Inside
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have an extremely congested schedule coming up – and the passer is far from thrilled with the NFL.
The two-time defending champions will embark on a stretch of three games in 11 days beginning this weekend when they face the Browns on Sunday, before hosting the Texans on December 21 and then traveling to the Steelers on Christmas.
And while the Chiefs are sitting pretty atop the AFC with a 12-1 record, Mahomes seems to be dreading his team’s next couple of weeks.
‘It is not a good feeling,’ he told reporters on Wednesday, per ESPN. ‘I’m excited to play on Christmas to hopefully get back from what we did last year [when the Chiefs lost to the Raiders], but you never want to play this many games in this short of time.
‘It’s just not great for your body. But at the end of the day, it’s your job, your profession. You have to come to work and do it.’
Mahomes added, ‘All you can do is focus on the game and the practice that you had that day. I try to prepare my body all year long for this stretch by tailoring my workouts, tailoring how you practice and you prepare. The coaches do a great job of taking care of us on the practice field. We practice hard as anybody, but they know how to kind of dial it back when we need it.’
In addition to the Chiefs, the Texans, Steelers and Ravens will also be playing three games in the next 11 days.
Crucially, though, the Ravens and Texans are coming right off of a bye in Week 14, while the Steelers had their break in Week 9.
The Chiefs haven’t had a rest since they returned from their Week 6 bye – a fact that defensive star Chris Jones was eager to point out.
‘This is one thing I’m doing this offseason is I’m going to the NFLPA, especially with us having three games in [an 11-day] span, that we’re mandatory to have a late bye week,’ he said.
‘With our schedule, it’s kind of awkward, to say the least. … That’s a conversation to have this offseason. If a team has somewhat of a schedule like that, they should get a late-season bye. We don’t need a Week [6] bye … Give it to us in Week 8, Week 10, something like that.’
Mahomes and Co. will have a week-and-a-half to recover after their Christmas Day game before facing the Broncos in Week 18 on January 5.
And if Kansas City manages to wrap up a first-round playoff bye before Week 18 – as they currently have a two-game AFC lead over the Bills – Mahomes and the team’s other starters could be held out of the final regular season game.
The quarterback then wouldn’t play until January 18 or 19 in the divisional round.
CELEBRITY
Selena Gomez, 32, Is Engaged to Benny Blanco, 36! Star Flaunts Massive Diamond Ring, Shares Sweet Photos, Hilarious Proposal Clips – and Reveals the Wedding Date Along With Another Shocking Surprise: “Our Prayers Have Been Answered, We’re Expecting…”
Selena Gomez shocked fans on Wednesday night by revealing she is now engaged to her boyfriend Benny Blanco after a year and a half of dating.
The singer, 32, revealed the news on Instagram, sharing the first photos of her massive diamond engagement ring with her 422million followers.
‘forever begins now..’ captioned the Who Said singer. She also included a photo of herself showing off her ring for the camera as Blanco, 36, wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head.
Blanco — a famed music producer — seemingly popped the question during a romantic nighttime picnic featuring Taco Bell.
The couple received an outpouring of love from theor A-list celebrity friends, including Cardi B, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Gomez’s BFF Taylor Swift.
Swift — who has been friends with Gomez since 2008 — offered to be the couple’s ‘flower girl.’
Blanco himself also left a cheeky comment in which he referred to Gomez as his ‘wife.’
‘hey wait… that’s my wife,’ wrote the musician, who earned nearly 150,000 ‘likes.’
Gomez has been dating Blanco since June 2023, though she did not confirm the relationship until that December. At the time, she used Instagram to confirm to fans that she’d been secretly dating the hitmaker for six months and that he was her ‘absolute everything.’
Previously, the Wolves songstress dated The Weeknd, Zedd, Nick Jonas, Taylor Lautner and was linked to a number of other stars, including Zayn Malik and The Chainsmokers’ Andrew Taggart. She also famously had an on-and-off relationship with Justin Bieber, 30, that spanned eight years, before they called it quits in 2018. He is now married to model Hailey Bieber, 28, and they welcomed a baby son in August.
Before getting romantic, Gomez and Blanco were friends for over a decade and even worked on music together.
He has produced three of the singer’s biggest hits, including the 2021 tune I Can’t Get Enough and 2015’s Same Old Love.
Selena Gomez shows off engagement ring from fiance Benny Blanco. Last month, Blanco revealed that it was Gomez who made the first move.
‘She asked me out. It was crazy, it was crazy. She literally asked me… like we were just talking, and then she said, “You wanna get dinner?” And I went to the dinner, and I had no idea,’ he explained on Kai Cenat’s Twitch stream.
Drama
Breaking news: Chargers Coach, Brandon Staley, has issued a stern warning to chiefs QB Patrick mahomes over irregularities and foul plays against tomorrow’s match ” Accused NFL of…
Los Angeles, CA – Los Angeles Chargers Coach, Brandon Staley, has issued a stern warning to Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, regarding alleged irregularities and unsportsmanlike conduct ahead of tomorrow’s crucial matchup.
Staley’s Statement “Patrick Mahomes has consistently pushed the boundaries of fair play. We will not tolerate any gamesmanship that compromises the integrity of the game. We’re prepared to take action if necessary.” – Brandon Staley.
Alleged Irregularities
1. Late-game celebrations
2. Excessive trash talk
3. Alleged tampering with opponent’s equipment
Head Coach Andy Reid dismissed Staley’s claims, saying, “Patrick’s a class act. We’re focused on winning, not worrying about distractions.”
Tomorrow’s Showdown
The Chargers and Chiefs face off in a highly anticipated matchup. Fans eagerly await the outcome, knowing that sportsmanship and fair play will be on full display
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