04/24/24
October 08, 2010
NFL Will Flag Jared Allen's Sack Celebration: The sack celebration Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has been performing the past seven years is now illegal, the NFL has informed him, because the league prohibits players "from engaging in any celebrations while on the ground."
I think the ruling should be, no celebrations without both feet on the ground. Otherwise who knows what these kids could get up to.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:07 AM on October 08, 2010
Does the NFL really have nothing better to do?
posted by TheQatarian at 09:34 AM on October 08, 2010
it seems this rule is targeted specifically for him. I wonder why? I mean next are they going to prohibit players from engaging in celebrations by doing karate kicks (Lamar Woodly) or foot stomps (Joey Porter).
And it is a pretty easy fix for Allen..he just needs to have his knee an inch above ground when he does it.
posted by bdaddy at 10:04 AM on October 08, 2010
Isn't a player technically already on the ground by virtue of their feet being on the ground. Sounds like the only way to celebrate is by being in the air.
posted by jmd82 at 10:29 AM on October 08, 2010
What's next, a 'No celebrating at all because I said so' rule? Give me a break!
posted by BornIcon at 10:59 AM on October 08, 2010
I think this is silly but I also think the NFL players go way beyond reasonable in their celebrations these days. Almost every tackle and reception gets a big reaction. Touchdowns, really crucial defensive plays, fine.
posted by billsaysthis at 11:02 AM on October 08, 2010
Seriously? Allen only does it on sacks, thus it doesn't happen too often, and as bdaddy stated, all he as to do is make sure his knee is off the ground.
Knowing how Allen tends to think, I'm sure he's working on a new celebration that will make the NFL wish they had just left him alone.
posted by dviking at 11:23 AM on October 08, 2010
NFL celebrations have gone overboard. I was watching last weeks 49ers game and could not help but notice after a great punt block recovery for a touchdown, the player did not just exuberently express himself but he proceeded to do a whole dance routine. I think it made not only him but his entire team and coach look like they are out of control. Lets face it, the niners were 0 and 3 at the time and they had just taken a big lead early in a must win game and all I could think about is PREMATURE celebration.
It to me was a clear sign that Singletary's team has no discipline or self control and I just knew they would find a way to blow that lead and loose another game. Looking back at the highlight the celebration seems even more assinine, knowing how things turned out. What ever happened to professionalism and focus. Although I do not think being an ass should be legislated out of the game by the league, I don't understand why the players don't police their teammates a little better. Gee I see guys celebrating a first down play when they are trailinig by 20 points.
Emotional outbursts are understandable but contrived and rehearsed celebration routines make the purpitraitor just look foolish to me.
Walter Payton used to score a touchdown and just hand the ball to the official, I suppose when you expect to do it often and you get paid to do it and you know you will do it again, you don't need to try as hard to be noticed everytime it happens.
posted by Atheist at 11:34 AM on October 08, 2010
This seems to rule out stuff like the Notre Dame style taking of a knee. Why does the NFL hate Jesus?
posted by feloniousmonk at 11:38 AM on October 08, 2010
I was watching last weeks 49ers game and could not help but notice after a great punt block recovery for a touchdown, the player did not just exuberently express himself but he proceeded to do a whole dance routine.
You are the kind of fan that the NFL has in mind when they make up these rules. I don't care if they celebrate. I like the reminder that they recognize that they are in the entertainment business. Some people take sports so seriously that you would think they were working on a cure for cancer.
posted by bperk at 12:18 PM on October 08, 2010
NFL celebrations have gone overboard.
I must be imagining those old Houston Oiler games when all 4 receivers would have a committee meeting in the end zone to perform their latest routine. Imparted memories, I suppose.
posted by yerfatma at 12:58 PM on October 08, 2010
Much as I hate it when some dork celebrates like he just made the hall of fame after he sacks the quarterback when his team is down by 30 points, I also like to hate it.
If I don't get to see it, I don't get to hate it.
Personality adds to the drama. The NFL doesn't get that.
No props? No group celebrations? I'm OK with that. No acting like you enjoy being a guy who gets paid millions of dollars to entertain people? I can't get behind that.
posted by fabulon7 at 01:53 PM on October 08, 2010
Walter Payton used to score a touchdown and just hand the ball to the official, I suppose when you expect to do it often and you get paid to do it and you know you will do it again, you don't need to try as hard to be noticed everytime it happens.
Deja vu. It feels like I've read that paragraph a million times before.
posted by tron7 at 02:32 PM on October 08, 2010
Put me down for another person who doesn't get the "kids these days" reaction to NFL celebrations. They're not a new phenomenon, and given the way that new anti-celebration regs keep being made, it's hard to imagine that they're worse now than in the past. Ickey Shuffle, anyone?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 02:43 PM on October 08, 2010
I don't have a problem with the raw emotion of a spontaneous reaction to a positive play. It is just that I personally hate the choreographed preplanned spectacle some players indulge themselves in after even relatively insignificant positive plays. That said I have no desire to see the league incorporate rules against it as long as it does not delay the game. I don't understand it and if I were a coach my players would be discouraged from engaging in it. If the league wanted to discourage it, maybe they should treat the players like they do streakers or fans who run on the field, just get the cameras off the person as to not give them the attention they are craving. It really is all about stretching out your air time for a few precious seconds longer.
bperk - I do not take sports seriously but then again some players want to make a joke out of things also. The NFL does recognize the difference between serious competition and sports entertainment as in the WWE . Maybe they feel they want to stop pro football from resembling the World Wrestling Federation. I does in some way detract from the intensity of the game in some respects. In any case to each his own and although I don't care for it I would defend any players right to make an ass of himself if he wants.
posted by Atheist at 03:06 PM on October 08, 2010
The NFL does recognize the difference between serious competition and sports entertainment as in the WWE .
WWE isn't a competition at all. I think you can have both a real competition that both teams want to win, and let the players have fun. Instead, the NFL is on an ongoing quest to remove all personality and joy from its players.
posted by bperk at 04:17 PM on October 08, 2010
Maybe they feel they want to stop pro football from resembling the World Wrestling Federation.
Fans yelling for blood. Bodies slamming into each other. Scantily clad women roaming on the outside of the field/ring. Are you sure they are not the same sport?
posted by graymatters at 06:10 PM on October 08, 2010
I do hear where Atheist is coming from. There is something annoying when a player struts on every single first down catch, having to do the whole pointing as if we didn't already realize that. Or when a defensive player struts his stuff after a big hit when when the receiver holds on to the ball for a 20 yd gain. If you don't jar the bar loose on a shot, you don't get to act badass!
posted by jmd82 at 06:41 PM on October 08, 2010
The next time he does his celebration, one of his teammates should rush over and slide their foot under his knee for him.
posted by grum@work at 09:16 PM on October 08, 2010
I like the reminder that they recognize that they are in the entertainment business. Some people take sports so seriously that you would think they were working on a cure for cancer.
There is a happy medium though, and I think that's where I fall. Celebrate after a TD, after a sack, after a big play. Don't celebrate after a 1st down, or when your team is losing, before you get into the endzone, or to taunt another player ..that is just jackassery (yea, new word).
So I'm not against the NFL trying to cut down a little bit, but I am against what appears to be a target against ONE specific individual, for some unknown reason. When you can call it "The Jared Allen rule", you know who it was meant to stop. My question is WHY? Why not Woodely's "kick in the door" or whatever the hell he does? What makes Allen's so much more worse to create a rule out of it?
posted by bdaddy at 09:55 AM on October 09, 2010
that is just jackassery (yea, new word). Not so much.
But do put me down for voting with bdaddy, in that the NFL needs to set clear guidelines that allow some celebrations while eliminating the excessive garbage.
The "no excessive celebrations when your team is behind" rule ought to be something the players would control on their own.
posted by dviking at 12:50 PM on October 09, 2010
I wish Allen would continue the calf rope celebration 'till Goodell hollers calf rope!
posted by mjkredliner at 02:19 PM on October 10, 2010
Which would also mean Lonnie Paxton's snow angel during the Tuck Rule Game should have never happened. No Fun League strikes again.