Man, listening to Harrison WHINE about the league making him change the way he was taught to play football for the last 20yrs..... GIMME a FREAKIN' BREAK!!! Now I want to put a helmet to helmet hit on him and make him whine some more..... (sarcasm, I like my vertebrae in line with each other and not fused or crushed...:D) And the Celebration penalty was another pathetic, yet the guys have got to figure it out, call that changed a game.
You people are to uptight. Who cares if people celebrate a little? I think it is unsportsmanlike when Tiger Woods does that big fist pump and yells after he hits a nice ball... He should be penalized for having a good time. Remember when Jordan hit that jumper against the Cavs in the conference finals and did that big jump and fist pump? Definitely should be penalized for that too I do not believe in taunting.... But, celebrations are not a big deal to me. Basically I could care less if players celebrate. I am not for or against celebrations. I do agree with the message of the thread though about hitting rules in the NFL.
Celebrations are ok to a point. But to celebrate an 8 yard catch to move the chains? A decent tackle after a 10 yard gain? Pre determined touchdown celebrations that should be in some theatre? Some barbaric ritual after sacking the QB? It gets ridiculous sometimes. A game winning shot against the cavs in the finals? Walk off homerun? Make a putt to win a golf tournament? yeah celbration worthy and natural reaction IMO. You dont' see a baseball player doing some ritual after a basehit. Hell you hardly see anything after a homerun except some high fives in the dugout. Basketball players don't beat their chests on made free throws.
its good to see that folks are still passionate about these issues in sports, its because yall care. one way or the other whatever the league decides i just hope/pray this game will continue to be what i have always loved most in my life... there is a reason why you cant call up 21 buddies and play a full contact game of football with you in the park. Hoops, baseball/softball, contact and non hockey leages are all over. same reason why kids get thumped in pee-wee football and say,"daddy/mommy i dont wanna play football no more!" this game isnt for everyone! you play long enough and you will get hurt/injured, part of the game. whether it was a dirty hit or not wont take back anyone's injuries/scars, that too, unfortunately is part of the game. I dont agree with some stuff said in this thread but THATS WHAT SPORTS IS. we each have a right to voice our opinion and cheer for who we want for WHATEVER reason we feel is right. some like the flashy players, some like the tooth-chippers and others the silent do my job and go home type. no team can be made up of just one kind. rule/equip changes will always happen. this is a business and some decisions will be good, others not so good. at the end of the day one side will still try and move the ball against the other side. in the end $$$$ will always be the real decision maker. keep watching, keep cheering and to those of you who gave and continue to sacrifice your bodies/lives for this sport my hat is off to you.
Did these guys slow the game with their celebrating? No. A little Is 100% alright with me but the NFL has gotten pathetic. Guess I'm old school.
Get rid of all the celebrating and taunting.....and you'll probably get rid of a lot of the head-hunter mentality. NO ONE likes to be shown up on the field. No one. Let it happen, and the players will devise a way (good or bad for the game) to police it.
Basketball is full of celebrations after big dunks, blocked shots and 3 balls.... You are right as far as baseball goes... The only sort of taunting I have ever noticed was the way Manny would act after a long ball. Maybe there is a reason baseball is the most boring of the large market sports to watch on TV, no emotion in the players. I do enjoy going to Progressive field and watching the Indians though, but don't care much to watch them on TV.
Then you're in it for the entertainment value.......and the integrity of the sport be damned? That sounds about like the typical American sports fan. No offense intended.
I didn't say that. FYI Barry Sanders I believe was the classiest guy to ever touch a football. I think there should be more guys like him. I am just not so uptight that celebrations bother me.
James Harrison is a full on retard. He says that he is going to retire he doesn't know how to play now, because the NFL just told him that he can't play the way he has been taught since he was little? What retard coach taught you how to throw the forearm shiver? Or lead with your head instead of putting a hat on the ball and wrapping up? Don't lead with your helmet dumbasses. The NFL is putting this rule into place to protect you so you aren't drooling on yourself at 50.
There's a distinction between "uptight" and understanding what's going on - on the field. When you see the celebrations and the taunting, the other team is taking that seriously. What's "entertainment" to you, is fuel on the fire for the opponents. That steam's gonna be let off in one way or another. If you don't undertand this is happening, I don't know what I can tell ya. It is. What is it about the celebrations and taunting you feel add to your fan experience?
I didn't say that it adds to my experience, you are obviously having a very difficult time reading my text. Again, I said I do not care if they celebrate. I am not for or against it. I am a Browns fan... Do you have any idea how much celebrating and taunting I have saw from other teams over the years, or I should say over my lifetime? How about Jerome Bettis as a Steeler.... Chad Ochocinco for the Bengals.... If he (Bettis) or others want to look like a fool celebrating an 8 yard run, whatever so be it. It isn't my place to worry about it.
The entire point of my addressing taunting and excessive celebrations, was trying to possibly tie it back into the thread subject. I don't care whether you, personally, condone; condemn or relish the practice. Just don't think it doesn't affect the play on the field. That's not being "uptight'. It's just not being naive.
If some dude gets his clock cleaned later in the game for being a dumbass celebrating after a big play, he has no one to blame but himself.
If they want these guys to tackle nicely, take their helmets from them and let em' on the field. The NFL is getting out of hand with this. It's a VIOLENT sport, if you don't like what you see, don't watch or play.
Exactly. So why not eliminate latter - by eliminating the former? I'll tell you why... Because one team's fans LOVE the fact that their guy is doing the taunting. They love seeing him rub it in the other team's face. They love doing it, themselves. Then, the other team's thinking the entire rest of the game/season......"I wish my guy would clean that guy's clock (legal; unpsortsmanlike or otherwise)". And they'll taunt while the guy's being stretchered off the field. The typical NFL fan don't give a flip about the integrity of the game.
It's disappointing that the refs have let it come to this. They should have inforced the unsportsmanlike conduct on the taunting years ago. Any "cheap shots", especially that had no effect on the play should have resulted in penalty. All the standing over a downed player and acting like Alpha Male should have been penalized. It's now come to the point that a hard hit is directly related to one's manhood. When Ray Lewis and the like are the face of defense for NFL, is it any wonder we are at this point?
This is possibly the most disturbing thing I have read in a long time. Sadly, too many sports fans love dirty laundry, as long as its not theirs. All in the name of good fun and entertainment. Maybe we should just let the "athletes" each choose a weapon of their choice before the game. They can square off until only one man survives and not have to waste a lot of our time messing around with a funny shaped ball. Afterall, it seemed to work well for the Romans, right? I have a sick feeling that plenty of folks would still be tailgating and taking the kids. More on task, I would say they need to do whatever it takes to bring sportsmanship and the skill of tackling back into the game. If that can be done by merely enforcing the numerous rules that already exitst, great. If not, then implement and enforce a new rule.
