Seahawks player fined for obscene celebration during Super Bowl

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin reportedly was fined $11,025 on Wednesday for pretending to defecate in the end zone after scoring in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Baldwin scored on a 3-yard pass to put Seattle ahead of the New England Patriots, 24-14, with 4:54 left in the third quarter. He then ran over to the football and squatted over it, pretending to pull his pants down.

He was penalized 15 yards, meaning the Seahawks kicked off from their 20-yard line. Danny Amendola returned the kick 21 yards to the 31.

The Seattle defense ended up forcing a three-and-out, but the Patriots later rallied with two fourth-quarter touchdown drives and a game-sealing interception on the goal line in the final seconds to win 28-24.

After the game, Baldwin said the gesture was aimed at a specific group, but he did not elaborate.

On Tuesday, he was unapologetic about it as the players cleared out their lockers.

“I was just out there having fun, enjoying the game of football,” he said. “The explanation, I don’t know. There’s no explanation. You play this game for so long, you go out there, you have fun. And I can get criticized all you want to — that’s fine. Everybody has their opinion. But in the moment, I was just having fun, and my teammates know that.

“Ultimately the only people I have to apologize to are my teammates and coaches, if that was the case, but my teammates and coaches know. They didn’t say anything. That’s not even an issue. We lost the game; there are so many other things to be concerned with than something stupid like that.”

The fine, reported initially by FOX Sports, is expected to be the first of several coming out of the game. In the final seconds following the Patriots’ interception, Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin and defensive end Michael Bennett were involved in a brawl with Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and other Patriots. Irvin was ejected.

“I was protecting a teammate,” Irvin said after the game. “Emotions flew. I saw somebody hit Mike Bennett, so I went and backed up my brother. I went about it wrong. Emotions were flying high, and I apologize. But if it happened again, I would go protect my teammate. That’s just how it is.”

Meanwhile, Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch was not fined by the NFL for wearing a hat with his company logo during media sessions last week at the Super Bowl.

He also will not be fined for the way he handled the media. He did not answer questions except to say he was there only so he would not be fined. On the third day he chastised the media for continuing to show up and ask him questions, and then he sat quietly for the final few minutes of his media obligation.

NFL spokesman Michael Signora said Lynch complied with obligations to attend media sessions and will not be fined.