Double bird, double fine: Redblacks’ Habakkuk Baldonado disciplined for obscene gesture, headbutt against Elks

Photo courtesy: Edmonton Elks.

Ottawa Redblacks defensive lineman Habakkuk Baldonado has received two fines for his conduct in Week 6, including one for an obscene gesture made towards the Edmonton Elks’ bench and/or fans.

The incident occurred after the Italian pass rusher got home for a sack on Cody Fajardo in the first quarter. Baldonado celebrated the play by extending both arms outwards with raised middle fingers, flipping the double bird to the crowd and his opponents.

Baldonado was also fined for an incident in the fourth quarter in which he headbutted Edmonton offensive lineman Jordan Murray. The right tackle was also fined for clipping as part of the same altercation. Both players were assessed penalties for unnecessary roughness at the time.

Edmonton defeated Ottawa by a score of 40-17, as Baldonado recorded two tackles and a sack. The native of Rome arrived in Ottawa in free agency this offseason as the highest-paid Global player in CFL history and has since recorded five defensive tackles and one sack. He won a Grey Cup in 2025 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The CFL’s department of health, safety, and integrity manages league discipline involving fines. The committee includes chief football officer Greg Dick, vice-president of officiating Darren Hackwood, associate vice-president of football operations Ryan Janzen, and associate vice-president of health and safety Eric Noivo.

As per league policy, the league does not announce the dollar amount of fines, discipline related to dress code violations, discipline involving teams or staff, or discipline involving players who have been released. The maximum allowable fine under the collective bargaining agreement is half the value of a game cheque.

Montreal linebacker Micah Awe was assessed a max fine for his actions in Week 6.

The Ottawa Redblacks (0-5) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-2) on Sunday, July 19, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT. The Blue Bombers are coming off a 30-21 win over the Toronto Argonauts, while the Redblacks lost 40-17 against the Edmonton Elks.

The weather forecast in Ottawa calls for a high of 27 degrees and a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS2 in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune in on 680 CJOB in Winnipeg or TSN 1200 in Ottawa.