NFL football is a game played by big guys barely out of their teens, that pretty much pulverize each other for a living. So when Saints receiver Joe Horn got fined for his antics with a cellphone in the endzone, I wonder, big deal? I recall the days of Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, and Mark Gastineau, when fans couldn't wait for a score or quarterback sack for some added fun and entertainment. The NHL has cool hockey fights - that league could end fights with very heafty fines and suspensions if they really wanted to. But hockey fights are cool, while football antics are "unsportsmanlike"!

Yet why should we expect NFL goons' behavior to be more dignified than say, Howard Dean's recent "Iowa scream"?

Perhaps as the NFL builds more corporate boxes, they want 20-somethings to act like 50-somethings? Is it a clash of cultures? Do the antics threaten the popularity of the game?

Some of it was funny before everybody had to do there own thing. It's getting to be too much. I think that the spike is the best cuz people can relate to the thrilling moment of it all. Although, the "Lambeau Leap" will always be great, no matter how many other teams try to imitate it.

Professional sports now walk the line between competition and entertainment. And being humans, we like to be entertained. BUT, I believe what the leagues (the owners, commissioners, etc.) have to be careful about is compromising the integrity of the game. When "the game" becomes secondary to the event (competition v. entertainment) then they run the risk of losing control; e.g. staged events like Joe Horn and Terrel Owens. A couple of years ago in the NFL it was the hand gestures that had street-gang signifigance. If these types of extraneous activities are allowed to continue, then only the players imagination will be the limit. A little spontaneous celebration can be expected and tolerated, but choreographed dances and working with props goes beyond the realm of sport.

Moving to Sports forum...

I love the endzone dances that these guys do. Joe Horn got out his cell phone and called his mom when he scored a touchdown. I just think there funny and a good part of the game.

I agree with MaryCas. It becomes over-abundantly overshadowing of the actual game. A celebration here and there, a mild dance, high fives, diving up, throwing the ball into the crowd, spiking -- all little things such as that are good. I mean, have a ball, you just scored. But when things get out of control, what happens to the actual GAME? And it's not only the person scoring who made the score... What about the lineman? If it weren't for them, the QB wouldn't be able to throw it to the recievers. And the QB himself, if he doesn't throw it; who's going to catch it? And running backs, if the lineman don't block, where are they going to go? It gets selfish seeing at it's a team effort when it gets too much. But a small celebration isn't bad -- it adds to the excitement of the game.

I think it was Jim Brown who said that spiking the ball after a score was stupid. Act like you've been there before. Along those lines I like Ahman Green's actions when he scores - a simple toss of the ball back to the official. After all, why celebrate like it's the last time you're going to get there?

Hypocritically speaking, as a Packer fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the Lambeau Leap!

I don't look at spiking as showing up the opposition. You're right though about acting like you've been there before, although spiking the ball brings a more realistic reaction of someone scoring a touchdown. As long as it's not overdone, I'm ok with it.

k.i.s.s.

I agree with Don Marco. Jim Brown, Marcus Allen, Barry Sanders realized what Owens and Horn do not. Act like you expect to be there. You look so much classier and just cool. Football is a team game, so why act like you were the only one who did anything in getting that touchdown?

I dont mind at all when players do original things like that. Im a giant fan, and when Joe Horn pulled out the cell phone, I thhought it was clever and funny. I think the NFL has got some serious issues with the strictness towards player behavior.

Why is football showboating worst than hockey fighting to some?

I often hear passionate discourse against football celebrations, but rarely any criticism of hockey fighting! Is it that fighting is macho and celebrating is not?

I think fighting is encouraged in hockey, or at least tolerated as part of the game. If the league wanted to stop fighting, it could. Take a page from the NFL - if you fight you are ejected. Hockey a sport where the highlights always seem to include a fight.

Hockey is not a high profile sport. I don't want to say no one cares, but....

But more importantly, the entire format, game flow, personalities, fan base, etc. are different. To compare a fight in hockey and an end zone celebration (or cell phone gimmick) is not valid - apples and oranges.

It's a passionate sport and people do things in the heat of the moment. Take soccer as an example. Probably one of the most passionate sports in the history of sport to the fans and the players. The celebrations these guys do is out of pure passion and heat of the moment. There's nothing wrong with that as long as it's not stupid choreographed dances and taunting other opponants and rival fans. Some soccer celebrations do stick to mind:

Robbie Fowler scoring and then going on to "snort" sideline as if it was coke. He got punished deservdly for that.

And more recently after Lincoln City's manager Keith Alexander was hospitalised and died three times during some head surgery. When Lincoln scored in the next game, the scorer took off his shirt to reveal a get well soon message to Keith Alexander on a t-shirt underneath and then dedicated the goal to him.

Terrell Owens and the Sharpie, Joe Horn and the Cellphone and now Janet Jackson and the Boob. Where will it end. :rolleyes: