Excessive Celebration Penalty is Ridiculous

by Mickey Britt

I am sick and tired of seeing young players be penalized for excessive celebration when they leap into the end zone. There should be no rule that says if you leap into the endzone you get a penalty. These kids deserve to show some emotion and who the heck is the official to decide that this is taunting?

How can it be when players after scores jump up and bump each other? Is it illegal to jump over the defense to score, of course not. How does the runner not know that someone might tackle him from behind? This penalty is also not enforced all the time as some are allowed to jump and no penalty and others get penalized. You explain how this form of celebration is taunting it's nothing but exuberation and happiness and you take that away, they earned the right to leap do a somersault or any other form of celebration as long as they are not in the other teams face talking and taunting.

While I am at it your officiating of the Tennessee vs LSU debacle at the end of the game was totally mishandled, as t
he LSU linemen clearly took his helmet off and through it on the ground right in front of a official and yet they didn't throw a flag, which would have nullified the 12 men on the field and game should have been over with off setting penalties and time expired, and if I am wrong on this then a penalty and yardage should have been applied to LSU. If you don't believe me look at the tape.