No one is safe from Eli Apple’s trash talk, not even the NFL commissioner.
The Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Apple went viral after Sunday’s win over the Baltimore Ravens for his savage troll of Roger Goodell. Apple made his way to the cameras following the 27-16 victory and held up a coin-shaped sign depicting Goodell wearing a red clown nose.
https://twitter.com/FOX19Jeremy/status/1612200861945720833
It appears that the sign was made by a Bengals fan who was in attendance at the game on Sunday.
YO THATS MY SIGN!!! pic.twitter.com/WGmouPzeaE
— Eli Pence (@EliPence) January 8, 2023
Apple and the rest of the Bengals were upset with the NFL over the one-time rule changes that were implemented after Damar Hamlin’s collapse led to the cancellation of the remainder of Week 17’s Bills-Bengals contest. The changes, which were approved by the NFL owners but were a departure from established league protocol on cancelled games, created several big potential disadvantages for the Bengals. Most notably, if the Ravens had beaten the Bengals on Sunday, a coin flip would have determined home-field advantage for the ensuing Bengals-Ravens wild-card playoff game (despite Cincinnati already clinching the AFC North division with the cancellation of their Week 17 affair).
But the Bengals took care of business Sunday against the Ravens, ensuring themselves a home playoff game and avoiding the possibility of a coin flip. During the game, another Cincinnati player also jabbed the NFL over the coin flip controversy.
As for Apple, he probably knew exactly what he was doing by holding up that specific sign. Goodell really hates his infamous clown-nose depiction, which has been a thorn in his side for years now.
