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Celebration Penalty

H

HannahO

Active member
I know it's bad form to talk about officiating (especially after a win) but I still have questions about what constitutes a "celebration." As I understand the definition a penalty exists that punishes guys who alter their stride or taunt as they go into the end zone. It is the same exact penalty that exists for players who take their helmets off, gesture to the crowd or do other "excessive celebratory" actions. I rewound Jesse Hoffman's actions as he neared the goal line and in the end zone and I'm preplexed ... He slowed a little bit just short of the goal line when it became apparent no one was going to catch him but not in an exagerated way and one has to keep in mind that he was running 97 yards after the adrenalin rush of having dropped the ball first. He got in the endzone and, for lack of a better description, did a run in place before turning and going to the side line. I don't know how "excessive celebratory" actions would be defined by the Big Sky but these acts didn't come close to prolonged or taunting or rehearsed that the rule appears to address.

I watched some of the PAC-10 games later on that day and saw much more celebratory actions that were not flagged.

Any ideas? :?:
 
I don't think he was flagged for this because he altered his stride - I think it had more to do with the fact that he sort of pointed/pumped his fist as he ran into the end zone. Kinda gay, I know, but I had a feeling he was going to get flagged as soon as I saw it.

That said, this wasn't ANYWHERE NEAR as bad as the call on Boyce last year in the Montana game, if anyone remembers that. He slowed down a little bit as he went into the endzone (when it was apparent that NO ONE was anywhere near him) and got flagged for unsportsmanlike.............biggest BS call I've seen. :roll:
 
EWURanger said:
I don't think he was flagged for this because he altered his stride - I think it had more to do with the fact that he sort of pointed/pumped his fist as he ran into the end zone. Kinda gay, I know, but I had a feeling he was going to get flagged as soon as I saw it.

That said, this wasn't ANYWHERE NEAR as bad as the call on Boyce last year in the Montana game, if anyone remembers that. He slowed down a little bit as he went into the endzone (when it was apparent that NO ONE was anywhere near him) and got flagged for unsportsmanlike.............biggest BS call I've seen. :roll:
Click to expand...

I agree, the call was bogus yesterday. When I was playing, the coaches never got mad at us for showing emotion and celebrating with our guys like Jesse did. The only time it would become an issue was if we did something obviously excessive. A couple fist pumps definitely doesn't qualify.

As for AB, Keep in mind that the last time we were at Montana (2007 season), AB "shushed" the crowd after a TD completion. Hilarious and awesome, but still a clear excessive celebration penalty. The slowdown call was probably a repercussion of that. As much as I hate it, UM is still the baby of the Big Sky and always gets insane calls in their house. We always used to say that when we go to Missoula, we start 14 points down to accommodate for poor officiating.

Also.....1st place in the 'Sky! GO EAGS!!!!
 
EWURanger said:
I don't think he was flagged for this because he altered his stride - I think it had more to do with the fact that he sort of pointed/pumped his fist as he ran into the end zone. Kinda gay, I know, but I had a feeling he was going to get flagged as soon as I saw it.

That said, this wasn't ANYWHERE NEAR as bad as the call on Boyce last year in the Montana game, if anyone remembers that. He slowed down a little bit as he went into the endzone (when it was apparent that NO ONE was anywhere near him) and got flagged for unsportsmanlike.............biggest BS call I've seen. :roll:
Click to expand...

In defense of the league. They did chastize the clearly biased officials at that game.

It doesn't change the outcome, but at least it recognizes the outcome as illegitimate. It doesn't mean EWU would have won with unbiased officiating, all it means is we don't know who would have won.
 
EWURanger said:
I don't think he was flagged for this because he altered his stride - I think it had more to do with the fact that he sort of pointed/pumped his fist as he ran into the end zone. Kinda gay, I know, but I had a feeling he was going to get flagged as soon as I saw it.
Click to expand...

Wow, if it was for the fist pump, I'm really bummed. The fact that I never even considered that a possiblity in my opening "analysis" shows how often I see in games at all levels and how little I would regard it as falling under the definition. Clearly the BSC must expect these guys to act like automatons, if that is the case.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see the Deion Prine Time strut or the NBA choreographed celebrations like Chase Reynolds and Montana did last week when he broke the Mt TD scoring record; but I don't want to take all the emotion out of the game either.
 
I questioned this call yesterday and wondered what it was. Coach B didn't know and he continued to ask the refs and they couldn't give them an answer. On a side note, I also watched the game back today and watched the UNC defensive back that made an interception run off the field celebrate, run down the sideline and do a summersault. No call on that one. A little inconsistency none the less. Maybe it was because he wasn't on the playing field, but he wasn't to far off the sidelines.
 
I don't really get it either. I also don't want to see the stupid NFL stuff that goes on be part of college football, but the thing is, unless it's blatantly taunting opposing teams/fans, it shouldn't really be called.
 
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