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Houston Texans star receiver sounds off on bizarre fine from NFL
Dec 13, 2024, 12:21 pm
Nico Collins has a valid point. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images.
Houston receiver Nico Collins was fined about $5,000 this week for throwing a football into the stands after a touchdown against the Titans.
Collins said it was “definitely worth it” because it was a little kid who caught the ball.
“The only thing that matters was making that kid happy,” he said Thursday. “He ain’t never going to forget that moment. So that’s all that matters to me. It’s cool. I’ll pay the fine.”
Collins grabbed a 5-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter of Houston’s loss to Tennessee on Nov. 24 and threw the ball into the stands underhanded before leaping into the crowd.
“It’s for the kids,” he said. “I seen he was screaming and was thinking here you go big dog. Here’s the ball.”
Collins, who leads the Texans with 832 yards receiving, said he was confused when he received the fine this week because he did the same thing several times last season and was never penalized.
“I guess they think you’re going to poke somebody in the eye or something,” he said.
Collins didn’t share the exact amount of the fine but said it was about $5,000.
He added that he plans to appeal.
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The Houston Astros will look to even their season series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night as they return to Daikin Park for what promises to be a tightly contested matchup. First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET, with two left-handers taking the mound—Framber Valdez for Houston and Kris Bubic for Kansas City.
The Royals come into the game riding a three-game road winning streak and holding a 3-1 edge in the season series. Winners of eight of their last ten games, Kansas City has been one of the hottest teams in baseball lately, thanks in large part to their league-best 3.01 ERA. Bubic has been a key part of that success, boasting a 4-2 record and an impressive 1.69 ERA over 47 strikeouts this season.
Meanwhile, the Astros are trying to find some consistency. At 20-20 overall, Houston has been streaky to start the year, but they’ve been strong at home with a 13-9 record. When they out-hit their opponents, they’re a formidable 16-8, and they’ll be hoping the bats show up again Tuesday.
Framber Valdez will get the ball for the Astros. While his 2-4 record doesn’t reflect it, he’s been steady with a 3.94 ERA and 44 strikeouts. He’ll face a Kansas City lineup that’s been clicking—especially Maikel Garcia, who’s hitting .295 with 10 doubles and 17 RBIs on the year, and Vinnie Pasquantino, who’s batting .349 over his last ten games.
Houston’s lineup has some heat of its own. Jeremy Peña leads the team with five home runs, and Yainer Díaz has been scorching over the past ten games, going 16-for-43 with two homers and nine RBIs.
The Royals have outscored opponents by 16 runs over their last ten games, while the Astros have managed a +6 differential in that span despite going 4-6. With two talented pitchers on the mound and both offenses showing signs of life, Tuesday’s game could come down to which team capitalizes on the small moments.
The Astros are slight favorites according to BetMGM (-141), but with the way Kansas City has been playing, this one feels like it could go either way.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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