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Shutdown Corner

Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:51 pm EDT

Terrell Owens was penalized for using the prop that is gravity

By MJD

So the reason that Terrell Owens's Usain Bolt tribute drew a penalty yesterday was that Terrell Owens (at the 1:57 mark here) used the ground as part of his celebration. That's actually a rule.

So if that draws a penalty, fine. Rules are rules, and if the official NFL rulebook has this insane, arbitrary, senseless rule, then I guess the officials have to call it. From here on out, all players will be required to levitate if they wish to express joy in the endzone. That should be fun.

Here's my question, though: If a guy scores a touchdown (and so as not to cloud the issue, let's say this guy does not have a reputation for celebration like Terrell Owens), and he drops to one knee to thank God, Allah, Vishnu, Ngai, Chuck Noll, or whoever he happens to worship, is that a penalty? 

The act is in recognition of the touchdown, and it involves a player "using the ground," no more or less than Owens did yesterday. Also like Owens's celebration, it doesn't delay the game, taunt anyone, or use any props except gravity. For all practical purposes affecting the game, it's the exact same things that Owens did.

That is, unless you're asking officials to make a judgment call between a guy being a show-off, and a guy being a good, clean, well-behaved, religious boy.

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27 Comments

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  1. LaShaun M
    1. Posted by LaShaun M Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:59 pm EDT

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    If Mr. Owens want to illustate that he T.O thats why he went to the t.o take off line lol
  2. Matt
    2. Posted by Matt Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

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    Glad you're providing photographic evidence as well that the catch in the picture was a touchdown, since Owens' knees had not hit and he rolled into the end zone on the back of the DB.
    Cost me a fantasy matchup when they ruled he didn't get in and Barber punches it in from the 6 inch line.....
  3. Abel S
    3. Posted by Abel S Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:06 pm EDT

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    I hate the Cowboys and I hate T.O. even more, but I do have to agree that the NFL has made a huge deal out of these celebrations and it is ridiculous that they penalize players for celebrating a touchdown. One of the reasons that we watch the NFL is because of all the character involved.
  4. Trey J
    4. Posted by Trey J Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:49 pm EDT

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    Goodell is killing this celebration thing! It sounds like all the fun is being taken out of the excitement of scoring a TD. These rules against dancing or spiking the ball or dunking it through the goal posts is getting pathetic. From a true football fan, can we please have the fun back?
  5. cross_dogg
    5. Posted by cross_dogg Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:59 pm EDT

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    do u kno wat NFL means? it mesns NO FUN LEAGUE they should kissing T.O chad ocho cinco Johnson for bringing back some interest o the sport and o top it off, to score a touchdown is a senstion moment why penalize a guy for being successful? waks mr commish
  6. Scott C
    6. Posted by Scott C Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:17 pm EDT

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    That was the exact thought I had when the called this penalty. If they call this one, they should flag every player that goes down on a knee to pray. So frickin stupid.
  7. godsmack2
    7. Posted by godsmack2 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:51 pm EDT

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    Abel S----
    Guess what nobody like you either. GO COWBOYS!!
    ican........Try T.O. Stop Me!
  8. Psycho J
    8. Posted by Psycho J Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:21 pm EDT

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    When you make a TD now you have to walk to the sideline put your head in your hands and tell your team um sorry and it will not happen agin,WHAT HAPPENED TO FOOTBALL!!!
  9. dino427
    9. Posted by dino427 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:43 pm EDT

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    next stop SUPER BOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  10. JUST A FAN
    10. Posted by JUST A FAN Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    Hey goodell, you must of had a boring child hood. it seems you want everybody to be bored like you. you probably never enjoyed sports as a child. . . . i bet you were into being a hallway monitor. . . . always being a bore. let the players let loose, enjoy the show and humor.
  11. juan m
    11. Posted by juan m Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:23 pm EDT

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    I'm great with fining the 'pray-ers'. In the endzone and especially in pre/postgame interviews. Every time a 'god' is thanked, or 'jesus' is praised, or a 'lord' is given credit for a big game - $25k!
    Sure missing out on a creative celebration sucks, but how anticlimactic is it to watch a guy kneel and do nothing else but bring even more unwanted religion into your living room? Is it the nfl or the 700 club? I wouldn't mind as much if there were some guys praising allah, or promoting dharmic enlightenment, or pointing out that scientific aetheism isn't unhealthy, or confessing that if Jesus was alive today he'd be sickened by most of his 'followers'.
  12. mr. Cowboy
    12. Posted by mr. Cowboy Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:10 pm EDT

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    He'd be sickened by you Juan m
  13. roland5378
    13. Posted by roland5378 Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:49 pm EDT

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    It is a ridiculous rule, I could understand "excessive" celebration, but come on. I don't agree so much to the suggestion about penalizing any religious expressions, but once I would love to see someone not so much praise "god" for "giving him the strength to win", but to praise "god for not allowing/causing the other team to LOSE".
  14. Defenderoftheunderground
    14. Posted by Defenderoftheunderground Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:40 pm EDT

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    Well there was Freddie "Fred-Ex" Mitchell, the most over-rated WR in Philadelphia Eagles history, who once thanked himself for having such great hands.
  15. AssMan
    15. Posted by AssMan Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:42 pm EDT

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    C'mon, the NFL wants celebrations. How easy is it for the NFL to control their cameraman employees and point away from the celebration? Then only a few hundred people nearest the end zone will actually see it, and not as close up as a TV screen. I can recall billions of times when a fight or skirmish breaks out when I'm watching the game at home and the camera turns away from the action, and I'm like "WTF??" The camera men are sometimes told to turn away from fights but record every second of a celebration.
    If the NFL realllly wanted players to stop, they would just not record their actions following a touchdown, and have announcers not talk about. Roger Goodall signs their paychecks, they would listen.
  16. bobbie sue r
    16. Posted by bobbie sue r Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:15 pm EDT

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    Able S. omg, if u dont love the COWBOYS,AMERICAS #1 team stay off the blog u idiot! Now that i have that out of my system,hmmmmmm u must be a Stealers fan,.....LOL! DA BOYS R ALWAYS#1
  17. Hank&Nessa
    17. Posted by Hank&Nessa Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:54 pm EDT

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    Bobbie sue r You are right about that !!!!! The nexted stop is the SUPER BOWL WOOHOO WOOHOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  18. Tad
    18. Posted by Tad Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:43 pm EDT

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    Why can't everybody be like Barry Sanders? Act like you've been there before, hand the ball to the referee, and move on. It's a team sport, the huge ego's like the TO's and Ocho Cinco's of the league can't handle just being part of the team, and they need a lesson in humility.
  19. lefty
    19. Posted by lefty Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:13 pm EDT

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    it sure seemed like aaron rodgers' "lambeau leap" lasted longer!!!!! shouldn't that be considered excessive???
  20. Chris F
    20. Posted by Chris F Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:24 pm EDT

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    lefty,
    I like what you said about the lambeau leap. wouldn't the wall be considered a prop. or how about the fans holding him on the wall. Are they considered props too? Let the guys have fun and show some emotion when they score a touchtown, but I do agree with excessive celebrations should be penalized.
  21. Danimal
    21. Posted by Danimal Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:53 pm EDT

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    "Act like you've been there before, hand the ball to the referee, and move on."
    If I wanted to watch a boring sport, I would flip on baseball or golf! You could flag ANYONE for celebrating as a football could be a prop (Spiking the ball, spinning the ball on the ground, etc...) this is THE most ludacris rule! Goodell I hope someone kidnaps you and subjects you to hours of videos featuring Chad Johnson and TO celebrations.
  22. MAR-to-the-TIN
    22. Posted by MAR-to-the-TIN Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:34 pm EDT

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    Well I love the Cowboys and I hate you Abel! GO T.O., can't wait to see a show this week on Monday night in the end zone!
  23. Hank&Nessa
    23. Posted by Hank&Nessa Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:54 pm EDT

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    To all you COWBOY haters out there you all will be crying come Mondaynight ...... Because T.O. is going to show you how it is doen agin !!!!! My husband and I have been a COWBOY Fan for a long time now and they are at there BEST now so to all you HATERS out there you better look out here they come ...... COWBOY'S ROCK !!!!!!!!!!!!
  24. danatural2005
    24. Posted by danatural2005 Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:34 pm EDT

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    I really don't understand this rule? So its unsportsman like conduct if he does a pred meditated celebration...then why isn't it a penalty when they do the Lambeau Leap?
  25. Ralphredimix
    25. Posted by Ralphredimix Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:27 pm EDT

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    Suspended one game for smiling

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Shutdown Corner is an NFL blog edited by Matthew J. Darnell. Email him, and follow him on Twitter.

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