NFL Football Cracks Down on End Zone Stunts

VOA ^ | 17 Dec 2003, 15:18 UTC | VOA Sports

[yonif]

The National Football League is again cracking down on player celebrations in the end zone. The league fined New Orleans Saints receiver Joe Horn $30,000 on Tuesday for making a choreographed cell phone call in the end zone to celebrate a touchdown Sunday. Horn's agent, Ralph Vitolo, says the player will appeal. Teammate Michael Lewis was fined $5,000 for helping orchestrate the stunt. After catching the second of four touchdown passes in a victory over the New York Giants on Sunday, Horn was handed a phone by Lewis, who pulled it from under the padding used to protect the goal post. Horn was still wearing his helmet when he punched in numbers, put the phone to the earhole and spoke into it for a few seconds.

The Saints were penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct for the stunt. After the game, Saints head coach Jim Haslett said the team would not punish Horn, but that he was disappointed in the receiver's "selfish" act.

In another game Sunday, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson retrieved a sign from behind a snowdrift and held it up after a 10-yard touchdown catch. Johnson's sign read: "Dear NFL: Please do not fine me again." But the NFL did on Tuesday in the amount of $10,000.

[yonif]

[Modernman]

The No Fun League strikes again.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

How much does he make of of his endorsement contract with Verizon?

[thinktwice]

Primadonna behavior is -- especially repulsive in sports.

[battlegearboat]

Glad to hear it!

Could've been more however.

"Pro Sports" does not get any of my money, in any way and damn little of my attention.

[blowfish]

If these displays keep up, people might start thinking that football is just a form of entertainment. Can't have that.

[Tired_of_the_Lies]

Why does the NFL have this rule anyway? I'm not a huge football fan and don't keep up with the game generally, so I know I am out of touch, but how does celebrating a touchdown in the end zone equal unsportsmanlike conduct?

[StatesEnemy]

The next violator should be fined 10 times that, and immediately be thrown out of that game.

[LS]

There is a big difference between "fun" and self-promotion crap. The NFL was plenty "fun" when great runners like Gayle Sayers and Jim Brown merely DROPPED THE FRIGGIN FOOTBALL when they scored.

It's ridiculous, and it is "NBA-izing" the NFL.

[Mr. Bird]

Primadonna behavior is -- especially repulsive in sports

I hate it when my team's opponent does something like this, but it really is harmless. T.O.'s Sharpie incident was hilarious, and this phone antic could have been better if it was a camera phone and he snapped his picture.

In football particularly, the players have to get so intense between the whistles, but then return to normal when the action stops? That's not possible, and I think the only penalties for this should be direct taunting (in the face) of the opponent.

[LS]

Easy. It is a form of trying to humiliate the opponent and promote yourself. It has nothing whatsoever to do with football. They can't fine these guys enough. It's "ghetto ball," nothing more.

[Callahan]

I believe NFL fine money is donated to charity, which makes it tax deductable, so don't shed a tear for Horn. I think end zone celebrations are cool, but pulling out props (sharpie pens, cell phones, what's next? Laptop PCs?) takes it too far.

[discostu]

It's not celebrating the TD that's unsportsman like, it's the level of celebration. Endzone dances are still common but when you start hiding props in the padding around the goal post you've pushed it to an unacceptable level that's insulting to the other team and the history of the game. This is the NFL not the WWE if all they want to do is put on a show to the chears of the crowd I'm sure Vince McMahon can find room for them, in hte NFL they need to share the field with 21 other people and should show a modicum of respect and professionalism.

[smith288]

The Icky Shuffle, the dirty bird and other types are fine with me but the prop celebrations is Ghetto ball and im sick of watching that.

Its a shame that a Sophmore like Fitzgerald has more glass than 90% of NFL players.

[Dante3]

I'd rather they would crack down on Tagliabue who doesn't have all of his marbles and has issued orders straight from the Twilight Zone.

[blowfish]

If a DB stands over a fallen QB and yells at him, that's humiliation. If Joe Horn does his cellphone antic, nobody takes it seriously.
And moderns sports is all about the promotion of stars to increase interest and boost sales. The idea that the NFL would promote Michael Vick jerseys on the one hand and say 'it's all about the team, not the individual' on the other is so laughable it's not funny.

[discostu]

I also think the celebration needs to reflect the frequency the player scores. Wide recievers get in the end zone a lot, unless it's a game winner or their first one they shouldn't act like it's such a big deal. Same with runningbacks and QBs, linebackers and offensive linemen should get like 30 seconds to screw around. But in general I have to quote Jerry Rice "you should act like you've been there before and are going to be there again".

[labowski]

Horn himself said he'd probably be fined 10 or 15 thousand dollars for doing it, but he did it anyway. I guess 30 thousand was out of his price range so now he's all upset.

[No Blue States]

Score a touchdown, spike the ball and jump. Dogpile the reciever or RB, but those stupid dances really get on my nerves. thats all i know. Maybe in the playoffs or superbowl it wouldnt look so gay.

Go Cowboys! 1 win and were in.( for at least one week)

[OldFriend]

I thought that cell phone call was one of the classier endzone antics in a long long time.

They worry so much about the antics on the field while coddling the crimes they commit off the field.

[gov_bean_ counter]

The next violator should be fined 10 times that, and immediately be thrown out of that game.<p. For real. Can you say $30,000 = chump change?

[StoneColdGOP]

Ditto that.

[StoneColdGOP]

"Ghetto ball"?

[chemicalman]

"Mom! Guess what! I'm not going to the Super Bowl, but I am going to Disney World. Sorry you can't come with me, my fine was too high."

[thinktwice]

The primadonna player is not a team player. It takes a team to get a football into the end zone.

[Libertarian4Bush]

my coach used to say "when you get to the end zone, act like you've been there before." and we did. and we won without showing up other people like thugs.

[anonymous_user]

"Celebrating" shouldn't be prohibited, but do they have to turn into assclown prop-comics with cell phones, posters, Sharpie-markers for autographs, etc.?

[RightWhale]

how does celebrating a touchdown in the end zone equal unsportsmanlike conduct?

Yes, Ah kin juke and run, and Ah kin catch a ball, but now you see, Ah kin dance!

[MizzouTigerRepublican]

I agree that the NFL is filled with hypocrisy. Matt Millen should be fined for his remark to Johnnie Morton on Sunday. They fine coaches for complaining about the refs but do nothing to Matt Millen who calls an opposing player a "Fagot". They sell Michael Vick jerseys all over the place but don't want him doing an endzone dance. I thought the Joe Horn bit was out of line myself. I think any celebration that does not taunt in the players face or uses items not on the playing field IE Sharpie or Cell Phone is fine. Remember Billy White Shoes Johnson or Butch Johns and his California Quake dance. Those were funny and not demeaning or mean spirited to anyone.

[Modernman]

They worry so much about the antics on the field while coddling the crimes they commit off the field.

Well said. And Tagliabue goes out of his way to coerce ESPN to kill their show "Playmakers" because it hits a little too close to home.

[Poohbah]

I knew a guy who played college ball. His coach's famous remark was "When you get to the end zone, try to act like you've been there before."

[Corporate Law]

A more recent player, Barry Sanders, used to just drop it as well. As the coaches say, act like you have been there before.

[ErnBatavia]

I was always partial to "The Ickey Shuffle" myself...

[Shermy]

Ban this type of endzone stunt too.

[VOYAGER]

It would be much appreciated, by me for one, if we could see a serious game of any group sport without these jackass morons showing their butts and their level of maturity after a successful play or a good performance on a particular effort.

[beelzepug]

"It's ridiculous, and it is "NBA-izing" the NFL."

Precisely! Thank God MLB has more class than this. I can't imagine a batter doing some sort of chicken strut around the base lines after hitting a home run.

[razorback-bert]

This will be the new "Can you hear me?" commercial.

[LS]

Heheheh.

[E Rocc]

I was always partial to "The Ickey Shuffle" myself...

I always thought it looked like the bride's gay uncle trying to do "the hustle" at a wedding. Likewise the "dirty bird".

Woods actually messed up his knee, helping end his career, doing that dance.

-Eric

[LS]

Sorry, it's junk. It's classless, another form of "look at me" and has nothing to do with the TEAM. "NBA-izing" the NFL, and I hope the NFL has better sense than to let this happen.

[american spirit]

It's more like the Nat'l Freakshow League now....all the goofball antics and dances seriously denigrate the game as well as all the players who played it with class. Some of these morons playing the game now are a disgrace.

[Logic n' Reason]

This jerk is paid big money each year to play a game. The NFL is in business. If Horn's activities increase market share. . . then super!

Let's say Horn's contract pays him $10M per year. Given his fine (I'll bet his team and/or agent paid it for him) of $30K, let's do a little simple math.

This would be analogus to a person with $10 in their pocket being fined $.03!!

Horn is an ass...as are most of the supposed "super stars" of football. It's a waste of time to watch.

Find something better to do with your time and money and let these idiots wind up with no jobs.

[blowfish]

I don't care for it either. But the NFL is in no position to adopt a moral high-ground on this issue, and they look like idiots if they try.
These things tend to self-correct over time, but the NFL is big $$$ entertainment, nothing more. Everyone from the commissioner to the lowliest special teams player knows this.

[blau993]

how does celebrating a touchdown in the end zone equal unsportsmanlike conduct?

Because it is the equivalent of taunting the opposing players. This is not just bad sportsmanship; it fairly begs for retaliation.

[Revolting cat!]

I wouldn't mind if they banned the rest of what constitues this "football", that's played with armpits (Armpitball?) and just left the end zone antics competition!

[RoseofTexas]

This was a STUPID stunt!! Football should be football and that's it!! NO MONKEY BUSINESS! The guy tried to be a SMART A$$! The league outta impose suspension of one game, plus the money fine! That'll do it as a warning to others!

[new cruelty]

The National Football League is again cracking down on player celebrations in the end zone

Wait a minute. I don't get it. They can crack down on players celebrating in the end zone yet they can't seem to find the WMDs or bin laden... what gives?

[Catspaw]

Well, we here in Packerland treasure the Lambeau Leap, but it doesn't involve a sign or a cell phone.

[the invisib1e hand]

there goes The Man, trying to keep the brothers down again.

[Revolting cat!]

Here's something to react violently against, professor Alan Dundes' take on football. (Sorry, I don't have a link to the original source.)