Kei Kamara threw Major League Soccer, the MLS Players’ Union, and fellow soccer stars in an epic rant on social media about a fine he received for not adhering to the dress code.
MLS has a strict dress code, made even more harsh by the league’s partnership with Adidas. Therefore, players are forbidden from sporting other non-Adidas brands.
The New England Revolution striker received a $1,250 fine from the league for wearing Trusox, a sock that helps keep feet dry and improve grip. Obviously, as that sock is not an Adidas product, Major League Soccer sent Kamara the notice that he must pay up for his insolence.
So what did Kamara do? He first went to the Players’ Union, but when that got him nowhere (“thanks for having my back, right?”) he took to social media. Kamara explained that he has a doctor’s note describing his need for the socks. The 32-year-old said that when he asked the Players’ Union for help, their response was that he is a “high-profile player” and therefore has a few extra set of eyes watching him. To debunk that claim, he brought pictures to show Toronto FC stars Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore wearing the same socks Kamara was fined for.
Have a look at the entire rant:
There’s no telling whether Bradley or Altidore have been fined for wearing TruSox, as uniform fines are not made public. It’s possible that the two have decided that wearing the special socks are worth quietly paying the fines, especially given their inflated salaries. Meanwhile, Kamara makes about one-eighth the salary of Altidore or Bradley, and the fine means much more to him.
If Kamara does indeed have a doctor’s note explaining his need for the sock, it’s surprising that Major League Soccer would fine him anyways.
Nevertheless, it’s likely that Kamara will end up with a fine for complaining about a fine, but to him it seems worth it to expose what he believes to be malpractice.