By: Marques Eversoll
The NFL took on another meaning Tuesday, officially becoming the “No Fun League” by eliminating the goal post dunk.
The league had already outlawed nearly every celebration imaginable, as guys like Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens constantly pushed the boundaries, but now it seems The Shield has grown tired of Jimmy Graham’s celebration of choice—the same one that Tony Gonzalez had made famous throughout his Hall of Fame career that spanned over nearly two decades. Despite pumping up the issue of player safety and tackling issues such as on-field racism and homophobia, the league decided to crack down on the (sarcasm) most pressing issue, which is clearly the end zone celebration.
It’s puzzling that someone was sitting at the annual NFL owners meeting in Orlando thinking, “We really improved our brand today.” No dunks, no problems.
What’s even more confusing is that the Lambeau Leap is still allowed. While I think the NFL should forever stay away from revoking perhaps the most unique individual celebration in professional sports, one has to wonder whether its future is in jeopardy.
After all, a dunk’s potential harm is limited to the goal post—Graham’s November dunk in Atlanta tilted the crossbar, and it took only a commercial break to fix it—whereas the Lambeau Leap involves a player jumping into a crowd full of passionate, often inebriated fans. If the league views a dunk as potentially problematic, then the Lambeau Leap could be catastrophic.
Someday, someone will jump into the Lambeau stands and something will happen—something beyond the common beer spillage or the wandering hands of fans around a player’s danger zone. And that will serve as Graham’s Atlanta moment, prompting the league to take a closer look.
It’s only a matter of time. When the league first reduced what’s allowed in terms of celebrations, everyone asked, “Well, what can we do?” At that point, you still had the dunk. And now, the dunk is no more. What now?
Do we outlaw the kneel-down prayer, citing a promotion of religion in the workplace? Do we take away smiling, because the exposure of canine teeth can be seen as threatening?
Not every player is Barry Sanders when it comes to post-touchdown antics. He acted like he’d been there before, and that certainly appealed to much of the fan base. But every locker room is home to different characters; Deion Sanders embodied entertainment. He was flashy; he’d celebrate on his way to the end zone. And then he’d celebrate again.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently suggested fans would turn away from the NFL because of greed, for which he’s taken some grief, considering the NFL has reigned supreme over the NBA and all major sports for quite some time. But perhaps the NFL could learn a thing or two from the NBA about individuality.
Contrary to what many decision makers may think, it’s the players that make the league. Fans aren’t tuning in on Sundays to watch Mike McCarthy call plays or see Ed Hochuli make calls. They’re tuning in to watch players make plays.
Let the players play, and let them celebrate as they please. Let Joe Horn use his cell phone. Let Terrell Owens scribble with a Sharpie. Rather than assume the role as the fun police, worry about things worth worrying about. There are plenty of those.
You can hear Marques on the Saturday Morning Showcase at 8 am. Follow him on Twitter, @MJEversoll
