GRIDIRON GRUMBLINGS: VOL II

EXCESSIVE CELEBRATIONS
By Marc Jimenez, NFL Draft Bible

"I know it's stupid to say and it's not good, some people aren't going to like it but I've set aside (fine) money again, like I did in '05 and that was a ridiculous year where I had fun. I'm having fun again. I've got to have fun. This is a business and you've got to understand the business, the ins and outs of it, and to keep my mind off of it I continue to have fun. This will be a year to entertain, not just myself but the fans in Cincinnati and around the world. This is going to be a fun year." -- Cincinnati Wide Receiver Chad Johnson

The thought of Johnson reverting back to his old ways is nauseating. There was a time when players did not draw attention to themselves or show up the other team, but nowadays it seems like every time a player does something relatively good, such as picking up a first down or recording a sack, he feels the need to celebrate his greatness…which has left me wondering: When did this type of behavior begin?

You might call Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, who played for the Houston Oilers from 1974-1980, the pioneer of the touchdown celebration. When he crossed the goal line White Shoes would hold the ball in the air and wiggle his knees in opposite directions. He later added splits and the fake ball toss to the crowd. Though they were unlike the traditional spike that many players used to celebrate touchdowns, White Shoes' frolics were a unique singular performance.

There were other noteworthy performers throughout the 80s, like
Cincinnati's Ickey Woods, but it wasn't until a young Atlanta cornerback made a big name for himself in the early 90s that the act of touchdown celebrations really took off. Deion Sanders came along at precisely the right time to unveil his distinct touchdown celebration. With ESPN becoming a huge player in the sports industry, Sanders and his "Prime Time" alter ego played to cameras and earned millions. But what made his celebration different from most was that it began long before he reached the end zone.

When Sanders was returning a punt or an interception for a score, and he was certain no one would catch up to him, he would start high-stepping from about the 15-yard line into the end zone before breaking out his creative touchdown dance.

Now, if White Shoes was the father of the touchdown celebration and Sanders was his heir apparent, then Terrell Owens is the unwanted stepchild who took the lighthearted nature of the celebration and turned it into a purely selfish act as a relatively unknown receiver for San Francisco, Owens created the "over-the-top" touchdown
celebration that we routinely see on Sundays when he posed on the
Dallas star after a score in 2000.

Two years later he added the "Sharpie Incident" and just like that Owens' antics changed the game forever and influenced a new generation of brash young players who are hell bent on getting face-time on SportsCenter by trying to come up with the most creative touchdown celebration. However, if you ask a player why he feels the need to act out he will tell you that he is just playing with emotion and trying to have fun--as if football has become a dull and mind-numbing experience.

Excessive celebrations are a cheap way to get attention and nothing more than a self-serving act that fails to acknowledge anyone but the individual. The over-the-top attention-seeking celebrations of Owens, Chad Johnson and others of their ilk have no business being in the game. Playing with emotion doesn't mean you have to result to
buffoonery and show up the other team -- which can be very dangerous as
Reggie Bush found out in last year's NFC Championship game.

Being an emotional player on the field is fine, but it must be
controlled. Any player who excessively celebrates is just trying to
market himself at the expense of the team. And let's be clear, it has nothing to do with being emotional. LaDainian Tomlinson plays with as much passion as any other athlete on the field, yet he never feels the need to show off.

There's a big disparity between playing with confidence and playing with arrogance. Marvin Harrison plays with confidence. Chad Johnson plays with arrogance. Do you see the difference? I realize such a concept might confuse some players, so I offer this advice: when in doubt just act like you've been there before.

Don't miss out! Stay tuned right here at 4th & Goal as Marc Jimenez provides you with an insight & anlysis from around the league with his Gridiron Grumblings Report!

Email: marc@nfldraftbible.com