You’re watching your high school’s football game. Your team was 1-9 last year and this year your school opens the season with a new coach, an improved field and high hopes.
It’s the first half. Your school’s running back goes 30 or more yards to score a touchdown, possibly the first of his career. As he crosses the goal line, he throws down the ball and throws his arms into the air in sheer excitement. The crowd goes wild. His momma screams “That’s my boy!” The new coach breaths a sigh of relief.
Then, a wretched yellow flag is thrown. Celebration penalty. The touchdown stands but the team is backed up 15 yards for the kickoff.
This is what happened at the Springfield High School football game last weekend. Springfield went on to win 26-6, but I was enraged that a young athlete who practices in the heat everyday and suffered through an embarrassing 2002 season can’t even show his excitement after a great play.
There’s nothing like sucking all the fun out of sports!
Many of us remember playing baseball, football or basketball in the backyard. Sometimes the best thing was “stuffing” a friend or a family member that had a particularly obnoxious mouth. “You ain’t nothing! You ain’t nothing!” said your brother just before you slam dunked over his over-inflated head. Ah! Sheer bliss!
According to the official rules of NCAA football “No player, substitute, coach or other person subject to the rules shall use obscene or vulgar language or gestures or engage in acts that provoke ill will or are demeaning to an opponent.”
Someone should tell the NCAA that losing 59-13 is much more demeaning than slapping hands with fans that drove 20 hours to see you play. It was much more demeaning for Arizona to receive a celebration penalty after scoring its second touchdown after LSU’s eight touchdowns and one field goal than it was for LSU to see “excessive celebration.”
The NCAA also doesn’t condone “baiting or insulting an opponent verbally.” (If you are going to beat the crap out of the man across the line, why does it matter if you tell him his momma’s ugly?)
Gone are the days of pointing and laughing at your opponent when you have just spiked the volleyball in their face. Gone are the times when you dance around the bases after hitting a home run shouting “we need a pitcher, not a belly itcher.”
I’m not advocating taunting or obscene language, but in my view spiking a football or throwing your arms up in excitement – without even looking at your opponent – is not demeaning but merely showing joy for an outstanding accomplishment.
I’m all for sportsmanship, but I think the NCAA and Louisiana High School Athletics Association have gone too far in curbing what they call “excessive celebration.”
There is a huge difference between unsportsmanlike conduct (taunting, pushing, etc) and acts of instantaneous happiness.