Celebration

I’m a big fan of Barry Sanders.  He was an amazing athlete.  And would easily have beaten Walter Peyton’s rushing record for yards in a career.

He scored often.  And each time he did, he acted just like he belonged there.  Nothing heroic, no Sharpies, no dancing or jumping.

Just a guy doing what he does.

So I get the spirit behind the rules that are being imposed in college and high school; we wanna end the taunting and the celebration.  But THIS, really, is what we have come down to?

The kid raised his arm for two steps.  He just scored the touchdown that would have won the State Football Championship.  The kids is ALLOWED to express joy and accomplishment.

Right?

8 responses to “Celebration

  1. He is allowed to express joy and accomplishment… AFTER the touchdown. I have never been a huge supporter of the rule, but in this case, I can see the point. He was still in the field of play, if I was the coach, he would have been spoken too because of this even if there wasn’t a penalty. Hard to control the ball with one hand in the air.

    And then theres always DeSean Jackson…


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7hbzpZilJE

  2. Another Jackson clip…

  3. I get the whole excessive celebration thing. The spirit of the rule, in my mind, is to prevent taunting, not the genuine expression of joy. DeSean is a dick. This kid was just expressing happiness.

    • So your problem is with the rule, which prohibits celebrations, regardless of whether its for “joy” or just being a “dick”. But the kid knew the rule, and risked violating it, and got the consequences. Isn’t that what you’re always defending?

      • So your problem is with the rule, which prohibits celebrations, regardless of whether its for “joy” or just being a “dick”.

        I think so, yes.

        But the kid knew the rule, and risked violating it, and got the consequences. Isn’t that what you’re always defending?

        It is, sure.

        I also make allowance for bad laws – or rules.

        We don’t wanna end the joy of competition. We wanna end dicks bein’ dicks.

        And this kid wasn’t bein’ a dick.

      • I don’t have a lot of sympathy for it. By all accounts, it had been made clear to the teams that celebrations were targeted for penalties. This kid showboated, knowing that it could cost him the needed touchdown, and it cost his team the game. This is no better than when a guy gets stripped while high stepping in, except that in that case there’s at least someone else to blame.

  4. I’m torn on this too. I hate touchdown celebrations. I hate defensive players celebrating tackles. I hate receivers celebrating first downs. But at the same time, I think the rules have gone too far. I guess I’d prefer a situation where there were no celebration penalties AND no stupid celebrations. But I suppose that’s unrealistic.

    • I hate touchdown celebrations. I hate defensive players celebrating tackles. I hate receivers celebrating first downs.

      All true.

      But I suppose that’s unrealistic.

      Well, we could all hire Bud Grant.

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