Yesterday, Pro Football Talk reported referees at both the Vikings and Panthers training camps have been warning players about stricter enforcement of celebration penalties. The main point of emphasis seems to fall on the act of spinning the football, a disastrous and flagrant perversion of the game. And if this act is done in a “taunting” manner, well, phew I just don’t know.
This is not new. Curbing celebrations, personalities, aka fun, has been going on for sometime and 2012 saw the formal continuation of the “No Fun Leauge” rules, penalizing players for: “acts includ[ing] but not limited to: sack dances; home run swing; incredible hulk; spiking 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.”
The reality of the sport’s horrible long term effects has taken away our ability to ethically enjoy jarring tackles, and now the league is deadset on removing the last tinkle of entertainment.
So I guess get ready for the upcoming season with a trip down memory lane as we recount some of our favorite celebrations the likes of which we will probably never see again.
