Taking the Fun Out

The NFL is doing a great job taking the fun out of any touchdown celebration. Spiking the ball can be very costly as Rob Gronkowski can testify to the tune of $7,500. Throwing a ball into the stands can cost $15,000.

The league claims it wants to crack down on taunting. I'm all for eliminating some of the "in your face" stuff that gets extreme.

Much of this is rooted in eliminating taunting behavior at an early age. I thought it was outrageous that a Massachusetts team lost their "Super Bowl" post-season game because their quarterback raised his arm as he crossed the goal line. The TD was nullified and that ended up being the difference in the game.

Officials need to use some type of common sense when interpreting the rules. This wasn't done here. I understand the "spirit" of the taunting rule, but the officials are turning football into a boring game played by a bunch of players who are afraid to express their emotion out of fear of hurting their team.