Touchdown celebration
In gridiron football, touchdown celebrations are sometimes performed after the scoring of a touchdown. Individual celebrations have become increasingly complex over time, from simple "spiking" of the football in decades past to the elaborately choreographed displays of the current era.
NFL football
Simply "spiking" the ball is not interpreted as excessive celebration unless the ball is spiked towards another player on the opposing team. Jumping onto the outer wall to accept contact from fans, such as the Lambeau Leap, is also not considered such, as it is off the field of play.
NCAA football
Arena football
The rules for celebrations in the Arena Football League were the same as the NFL; no props were allowed. However, choreographed or group dances were often seen after a score.
AAF
In the Alliance of American Football, it was an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to propel the ball out of the field of play during a touchdown celebration. This "no souvenirs" rule was in place so that the AAF would not lose possession of the electronic tracking apparatus embedded in each ball.[6]
CFL football
Player celebrations
The
CFL end zone celebrations often include more than one player, often a whole wide receiving corps of 4-6 players. Past celebrations have included five Calgary Stampeders receivers holding out their hands and mimicking the pouring of drinks from a champagne bottle, then stumbling around as if drunk; another end-zone routine simulated a bobsleigh run when receiver Jeremaine Copeland sat down and wrapped his legs around the goal-line pylon with the rest of the receiving corps tucked in behind him. The same group also pantomimed a four-seater stationary bicycle, which all players played a role for the bicycle.[clarification needed]
The
In the 2008 CFL season, the Winnipeg receiving corps did a few celebrations, most notably a version of Duck, Duck, Goose, as well as a walking race across the end zone.[7]
In the 2009 CFL season, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats did a memorable celebration in Winnipeg, as a fishing boat was at the edge of the end zone. Hamilton scored two touchdowns within a minute, both times got into the boat and celebrating as though they were fishing, literally showboating.[8]
During the August 14, 2010, a celebration by the Toronto Argonauts in which several players mimicked a rowing crew drew an Objectionable Conduct penalty.
In the 2018 CFL season, Ottawa Redblacks offensive lineman Jon Gott chugged a beer after teammate Mossis Madu scored a touchdown during the final game of the regular season against the Toronto Argonauts. Although Gott was not penalized, fined or suspended for the action due to the league relaxing its rules on touchdown celebrations, the CFL subsequently revised their policy to prohibit the use of alcohol or drugs or the mimicking thereof.[9]
Stadium celebrations
Long-standing tradition at McMahon Stadium has a horse run the length of the stadium with a team flag each time the hometown Calgary Stampeders scores a touchdown.[10] The Montreal Alouettes' touchdown celebration is similar; it features a man carrying an Alouettes flag and running across the field every time the Alouettes score six points at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. Other stadiums have developed similar traditions. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a small airplane (known as the "touchdown plane"), along with a cannon blast that goes off after every score.[11] The Saskatchewan Roughriders fire smoke mortars from behind the goalposts in celebration of home team touchdowns. The Edmonton Elks have a fire engine circle the field after each touchdown, throwing souvenirs into the crowd.
Memorable celebrations
- The "touchdown spike": New York Giants wide receiver Homer Jones is credited as the first player to throw the ball into the field at his feet after scoring a touchdown. He first did this move in 1965, calling it a "spike", and it is said to be the origin of post-touchdown celebrations.[12]
- In 1969, Elmo Wright, a junior wide receiver for the University of Houston, began celebrating his touchdown receptions with a 'celebratory' end zone dance. In his rookie year with the Kansas City Chiefs, he caught a touchdown pass in a game on Oct. 24, 1971, against the Washington Redskins and celebrated with what some believe was the first end zone dance in NFL history.[13]
- The 1980s Washington Redskins "The Fun Bunch": The 1983 Washington Redskins raised the bar on celebrations by performing a group high-five after scoring. The NFL had made previous attempts to curb celebrations but, after the 1983 Fun Bunch, they changed the rules and "excessive celebration" was disallowed. This is one of the few offensive squads that have managed to acquire a nickname.[14]
- In his rookie season of 1988, Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods gained media attention with a touchdown dance that became known as the "Ickey Shuffle."[citation needed]
- Animals of all different sorts can lend their names to touchdown dances. The Worm." And during his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers, defensive back Merton Hanks became famous for his unique "Funky Chicken" dance after scoring on interception returns.[15][16]
- On December 15, 2003, at a game between the New York Giants and the New Orleans Saints, after his second touchdown, Saints Unsportsmanlike conduct was called on Horn, and he was fined $30,000 by the NFL as a result.[citation needed]
- On September 26, 2010, Buffalo Bills
- During the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers performed the "championship belt" move after touchdowns, imitating putting on a boxing or wrestling championship belt. After the Packers won Super Bowl XLV, Rodgers was presented with a replica Big Gold Belt by teammates, and in the following weeks, during a scheduled WWE Raw telecast, the Packers were honored with title belts from the WWE itself. In a series of State Farm commercials that aired during the 2011 season, Rodgers and a State Farm representative argued whether the move was a touchdown dance or the "discount double check" dance to celebrate saving money on insurance.[citation needed]
- Gronk Spike has been a product of the less restrictive scoring celebrations of the NFL compared to high school and college, and debuted on September 26, 2010, after scoring his second NFL touchdown.[22] It had become a fan phenomenon with MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference calculating that Gronkowski's arm moves 130° with the football leaving his hand at 60-miles per hour delivering 650 lbs of force.[23][24][25][26]
- On October 21, 2012, Mike Tolbert of the Carolina Panthers and Stevie Johnson of the Buffalo Bills did the "Gangnam Style" dance in their Week 7 games.[27]
- A November 21, 2013, matchup at the bubble level and rubber band.[28]The practice of dunking over the goalposts was subsequently made into a penalty due to this delay.
- On December 21, 2014, at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, Marshawn Lynch jumped and grabbed his crotch as he crossed the goal line. He was fined $11,050.[29]
- In Super Bowl XLIX, Doug Baldwin scored what turned out to be the Seattle Seahawks' last touchdown of the season as they failed to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Baldwin celebrated the touchdown with a vulgar pantomime which gained significant attention on social media as the "poopdown", and which earned a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. He commented after the game that the celebration was directed at an unnamed group, who were not present at the game.[30] He was later fined $11,025 for his actions by the NFL.[31]
- On December 6, 2015, at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown charged into the goalpost pylon after returning a punt for 71 yards for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. He was penalized 15 yards for "using the goalpost as a prop" and later fined $11,576 by the NFL.[32]
Effect on game play
It has been argued that celebration penalties have affected the outcomes of games.
The September 6, 2008, game between Washington and BYU saw the Washington quarterback, Jake Locker, score a touchdown, putting Washington within one point with two seconds to go. Upon entering the endzone, however, Locker threw the ball high in the air. His team was penalized, the referee applying NCAA Rule 9-2, Article 1(a)(2), which states that "after a score or any other play, the player in possession immediately must return the ball to an official or leave it near the dead-ball spot," paragraph (c) of which forbids "throwing the ball high into the air." BYU blocked the ensuing 38-yard extra point attempt and won the game.[33] On December 30, 2010,
See also
References
- ^ Archive index at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Thomas, Jeanna (May 23, 2017). "NFL voted on rule changes for the 2017 season, and we graded each one". SBNation.com. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
- ^ "Celebration fouls may complicate the post-touchdown try". 30 August 2019.
- ^ 2008 NCAA FOOTBALL RULES AND INTERPRETATIONS Archived 2008-09-10 at the Wayback Machine, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Page 112, Accessed August 4, 2008.
- ^ Unsportsmanlike vs. Personal Fouls[permanent dead link], 2007 NCAA Football Guide, Page 3, Accessed August 4, 2008.
- ^ "How the AAF's strict "no souvenirs" rule claimed its first victim". FootballZebras.com. February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
- ^ Video of touch down celebration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aavPl9AfqE
- ^ dickenz21 (9 November 2009). "Ticats boat celebration td". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Williams, Rob. "CFL amends touchdown celebration rule after player chugs beer mid-game (VIDEO)". Daily Hive. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
- ^ Stampeders homepage Archived 2009-01-06 at archive.today
- ^ "(no title)". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
{{cite web}}
: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ Bill Pennington (September 30, 2001). "Giants' Wide Receivers May End Long Drought". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
- ^ Finley, Bill (November 13, 2005). "Father of End-Zone Dance Explains His Happy Feet". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
- ^ "The Fun Bunch". Archived from the original on 2008-01-21. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
- ^ Gwen Knapp (December 21, 1997). "Dances with Hanks". Sfgate.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
- ^ Phil Taylor (December 1, 1997). "Basketball Jones". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Retrieved October 16, 2011.
- ^ "Bills WR Johnson Fined $10,000 For TD Celebration". Buffalorumblings.com. October 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ^ "'Why So Serious' Nets Johnson Serious Fine - WBEN NewsRadio 930 : Buffalo & Niagara Falls, NY". Archived from the original on 2011-01-01. Retrieved 2011-01-08.
- ^ "Steve Johnson celebrates TD with a Joker quote on his shirt". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ^ "Bills' Steve Johnson fined $5,000 | National Football Post". Archived from the original on 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ "The majesty of the Gronk Spike: How it began and why it's so awesome". ESPN.com. 2018-01-30. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ "Rob Gronkowski's TD ritual becomes a fan phenomenon". Boston Herald. 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ "Spike-tacular: Gronk's signature TD celebration a huge hit". NFL.com. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ "Let's get Physical". Boston Herald. 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ "A Brief History Of The Gronkowski Spike". Boston Magazine. 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ Chase, Chris (October 21, 2012). "NFL Gangnam Style: Mike Tolbert vs. Jason Pierre-Paul (VIDEO)". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
- ^ Saraf, Sid (21 November 2013). "Jimmy Graham pulls a Shaq and bends the goal post in Atlanta". Fox Sports.com. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
- ^ "Marshawn Lynch fined for obscene gesture at end of TD run".
- ^ Chiappelli, Kirstie. "Doug Baldwin says vulgar celebration directed at group". Sporting News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
- ^ Wagoner, Nick (4 February 2015). "NFL fines Doug Baldwin $11,025". ESPN.com. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ Schilken, Chuck (7 December 2015). "Steelers' Antonio Brown flagged for 'using the goal post as a prop' [Video]". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ^ Booth, Tim (2008-09-06). "BYU holds back Washington on last-second PAT block". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-08.
- ^ "Excessive celebration flag curbs K-State's enthusiasm". Kansascity.com. Retrieved 2011-01-01.