The NFL made a quick decision Monday morning not to fine Dallas Cowboys tailback Ezekiel Elliott for his viral Salvation Army kettle celebration. Among other things, it was a tacit admission that Elliott shouldn't have been penalized in the first place for what was a harmless if technically illegal act after scoring on a two-yard touchdown in his team's 26-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
From a literal standpoint, Elliott did violate the NFL rule that prohibits players from using the ball or anything else on the field as a prop.