Maligned second-year corner Eli Apple was fined by the New York Giants for tweeting during the game against the Cowboys.
Many jobs have a policy against being on social media during game action, and apparently the New York Giants are no exception. The team fined Eli Apple for tweeting during the game against the Eagles (while inactive for the fourth straight week) according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
To Apple’s credit, he owned his mistake, telling reporters, “I wasn’t confused. It was just a mistake by me.” He added that he had no problem with the fine, saying “Everybody has to pay for any mistake they make.”
NFL rules prohibit players from tweeting during games. The full quote from the league rulebook is:
“The use of social media or networking sites (including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and similar vehicles) by coaches, players, and other club football operations personnel is prohibited on game day (including halftime) beginning ninety (90) minutes before kickoff until after the post-game locker room is open to the media, and players have first fulfilled their obligation to be available to the news media who are at the game.”
However, Apple can’t be fined by league as the team has already fined him, and players can’t be fined twice for the same offense.
It’s been a rough year for Apple, as he’s been scratched the past four weeks, and he recently had a little bit of a disagreement with safety Landon Collins about whether they spoke about this season.
Despite all the struggles, Apple still wants to be a member of the Giants as they enter a rebuilding phase.
“Of course. I’m blessed to be where I am right now. I appreciate everything being here, alive. Football is something I love to do. It’s a blessing. You don’t want to take it for granted. I definitely want to be here, to be honest.”
Hopefully Apple can learn from his many mistakes and become what the team hoped when they drafted him in the first round.