3 hours ago
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After facing a punishment for performing a viral touchdown celebration, Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle hit a 'pump fake' on the referees.
Last week, in a victory over the Green Bay Packers, Dowdle scored a touchdown and celebrated by putting his hands behind his head and then thrusting his pelvis forward twice.
It's a reference to a popular sketch from the former Comedy Central show 'Key & Peele' - where a football playing character, Hingle McCringleberry, would get flagged each time he performed 'three pumps'.
Despite only doing two pumps, Dowdle was flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct and was later fined $14,491 for the action.
This week, Dowdle once again rushed into the end zone for a touchdown against the NFC South rival New Orleans Saints.
After getting up off the ground, Dowdle once again put his hands behind his head. This time, he paused and waited - before sprinting off without any form of pumping being done.
Panthers RB Rico Dowdle 'pump faked' officials after getting fined for a celebration last week
Dowdle got fined for thrusting his pelvis last week. He pretended to do it again before bailing.
No flags were thrown and even the NFL official X account poked fun at the incident, posting, 'You chose wisely Rico' with a laughing emoji.
After the fine was handed down, Dowdle posted to his own X account saying 'Starting a go fund me [laughing emoji] they got me'.
The money raised in that fundraiser surpassed $50,000. Dowdle then promised to donate it to the Children's Home Society of North Carolina.
The Panthers didn't seem to mind Dowdle's celebration. In fact, the leaned further into it by inviting the man behind the McCringleberry sketch - comedian Keegan Michael Key - into a team meeting via a Zoom call.
'The reason I am here is I wanted to share with you guys, especially you Rico, that I've done my recent research and apparently I guess the rules that are made up in a comedy sketch do not necessarily reflect the rules in the NFL,' Key joked.
He then brought in his partner, Elle Key, who revealed that they had seen the GoFundMe and were pledging to donate $15,000 to his charity cause.
