College football season is here and it’s a wonderful time of year. However, I’ve come to criticize our great national pastime. Football more than any sport I can think of has been taken over by idiotic regulation. There are simply too many stupid rules. No where is this more evident that celebrating a big play. If a player simply celebrates briefly they an be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
I understand why the rule is in place. Taunting in all forms shouldn’t be allowed, but the rule is so broad that there’s a penalty called on touchdowns in every game. During yesterday’s LSU vs. Georgia game the Dawgs scored on a TD pass with one minute remaining. The receiver caught the ball and a handful of his teammates celebrated in the end-zone briefly. There was nothing over the top about the celebration; however, the refs threw flags anyway. The penalty forced the Dawgs to kick from their own 15 yard line giving LSU the ball in scoring position. LSU took advantage of the field position and won the game. When the LSU player scored he pointed into the crows and was flagged for celebrating as well.
Now obviously I’m a Georgia fan so the sting of this poor call hurts worse. I can live with judgment calls, but this is a rule that has nothing to do with the game itself. Georgia was penalized for simply celebrating what should have been the game winning touchdown. Football has become a 3 or 4 hour game full of replays, penalties, and wasted time. I guess the short attention span start/stop nature of the game is why it’s perfect for TV. As the years go on it seems like the game is being taken over by a figure skating mentality. The judges decide what’s pass interferences, a late hit, and when to call holding. A violent college football game that’s played for four hours shouldn’t come down to a dubious celebration penalty unless there was taunting of some sort.
I’m not sure what advice a coach is supposed to offer a player in this situation other than next time don’t catch the pass.
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