Flags and fines are flying
Celebration penalties rising sharply in the NFL
When Cleveland’s Andrew Hawkins of the Cleveland caught a TD pass against New England in Week 5, his reaction was unexpected. He came to a stop, then stiffly placed the ball on the turf and robotically walked away.
He said it was in response to the NFL’s growing crackdown on what it calls excessive celebrations, one that has annoyed many fans, who have trotted out the old criticism of the NFL as the “No Fun League.” And raised charges of inconsistent enforcement.
“Everything you do gets fined nowadays, right?” Hawkins told Cleveland.com. “Me seeing the tape of what not to do — and I get it, rules are rules — but I thought it would be funny to do that and troll the whole situation, so that’s what I did.”
Flags and fines are flying, as celebration penalties are up sharply. The league says it has not changed its rules, but made excessive celebration a “point of emphasis,” essentially asking officials to pay extra attention to enforcing the existing rules.
Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers was penalized and fined in Week 1 for twerking after a touchdown and again in Week 4 for a pelvis thrust. (His moves were more appreciated when he finished in the top five on “Dancing With the Stars.”)
Redskin Josh Norman got a penalty and a fine for miming shooting a bow and arrow, though Tom Brady was spared on his return to the game for a similar arms-in-the-air gesture.
And the old standbys are still being enforced rigidly: Vernon Davis of the Redskins was flagged for a jumpshot through the goalposts after a TD Sunday. Odell Beckham Jr. was penalized for taking off his helmet on the field late in the Giants game Sunday.
ESPN reported after Week 4 that taunting calls were up 220 per cent, and unsportsmanlike penalties were up 56 per cent. Dean Blandino, the NFL’s senior vice president for officiating, responded to some of the criticism with an explanatory video for media and teams earlier this month.
“The rule hasn’t changed in terms of what is and what isn’t taunting,” he said, and insisted “we’re not trying to legislate emotion out of the game.”
He said that “anything that mimics a violent act” and “anything that mimics weaponry” would be an automatic penalty. This explains why the bow and arrow by Norman was penalized, while Brady’s move, which was interpreted as a tribute to Usain Bolt’s lightning bolt celebratory gesture, was OK. A lightning bolt has not been regularly used as a weapon since Zeus.
“Our reason is not to hurt nobody or to demonstrate that we’re trying to shoot something,” Norman said.
Whether dancing draws a foul depends on the nature of the dance.
“When it’s sexually suggestive, that’s a penalty,” Blandino said.
A celebration in general crosses the line “if it’s choreographed, if it’s excessive, if it’s prolonged.”
The NFL video shows Victor Cruz of the Giants dancing after a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys.
“The salsa dance is fine,” Blandino said. “But when his teammate comes and takes the Polaroid picture, that’s a choreographed demonstration.”
Letting celebrations slide could lead to a slippery slope, he said.
“Believe me, if we let this go it will continue to build and players will continue to try to outdo each other. It leads to altercations.”
He said many gestures are OK. The rule book prohibit “players from engaging in any celebrations or demonstrations while on the ground.” But “prayer is not a foul.” Rule 12 Section 3 Article 1 of the rule book specifies a two-tier system for penalties. Some actions are expressly forbidden, including “throat slash; machine-gun salute; sexually suggestive gestures; prolonged gyrations; or stomping on a team logo.”
Another list forbids activities only if they are directed at an opponent: “Sack dances; home run swing; Incredible Hulk; spiking the ball; spinning the ball; throwing or shoving the ball; pointing; pointing the ball; verbal taunting; military salute; standing over an opponent (prolonged and with provocation); or dancing.”
Carlos Hyde of the 49ers was hit with a taunting penalty after flexing at some Arizona Cardinals players. If his flexing had occurred a few feet away, it probably would have been legal.
The NFL sees itself as setting a good example: “There are many many kids out there that are NFL fans, who … see our athletes and they mimic what they do,” Blandino said.
Despite trying to stamp out the more flamboyant celebrations, the NFL has not been especially hesitant to promote them on social media. A video celebrating the “top 10 celebrations” on NFL.com includes Rams players gathering around a spinning ball and Chad Johnson performing “Riverdance.” But its No. 1 all-time celebration is Barry Sanders scoring a touchdown — then not celebrating.
The NFL’s list includes an appearance by the acknowledged master of the celebration, Terrell Owens, who last played in 2010. He pulled a pen from his sock and autographed the ball after a TD. He shook a cheerleader’s pompom, dumped a container of popcorn on himself and slammed a ball on the opposing Cowboys logo. That last one saw him decked by Cowboys safety George Teague.
The Golden Age of NFL celebrations is remembered for Deion Sanders’ regularly starting celebrations before he even reached the end zone in the mid-1990s; and Johnson’s performing a variety of stunts, notably donning a jacket inaccurately proclaiming him a future Hall of Famer in 2007.