The NFL can't have it both ways
by JasonB
on Oct 20, 2008 6:00 AM EDT
in News
If you happened to check Philadelphia Eagles dot com recently you may have seen this headline.
It's an article about the contributions Eagles rookies have made this year highlighted by a picture of Desean Jackson and Quintin Demps celebrating after Jackson's punt return against the Redskins. A nice picture after a great moment...
Only, it's acually a picture of two players commiting an illegal act in the NFL's eyes. An act so egregious that the NFL saw fit to fine each player ten thousand dollars a piece.
Now let's put the issue of whether two players crossing their arms and looking at each other is so horrible aside. We've discussed that and we agree it's nonsense. The question I have is that if the celebration doesn't belong on an NFL field, how does it belong on an NFL website?
The NFL can't have it both ways.
You can't fine these players $10,000 a piece for a celebration and then glorify it by having it featured on one of your sites. If I were Demps or Jackson I'd be incensed to see an image of a celebration that cost me 10 grand being exploited by a member of the organization that fined me for it. It also sends a mixed message. On one hand a player is fined for celebrating on the field and on the other he gets a big picture of the celebration on the team website with an accompanying article talking about how great he is.
We've heard players complain in the past about hits they've been fined for showing up on highlight DVDs or on NFL network promos. How many times have we seen Terrell Owens in highlight packages eating a bag of popcorn in celebration, when the use of a prop in celebrations is expressively forbidden by the NFL? It's simply not right.
Now, I don't blame the Eagles or their web staff for putting up the photo. It's a fun picture and was a great moment in the season so far... But if the NFL is trying to discourage these celebrations, surely they should be telling their teams not to glorify them?
Of course... the NFL could always take the smart approach and just stop fining guys for doing something as tame as crossing their arms and looking at each other!
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I don’t know man I think your example may be a stretch. I do agree with your overall point, however, to the best of my knowledge the Eagles never really said any thing negative and were probably more looking for an image that had both players in it that they were trying to highlight for the story rather than trying to condone the act
by 0sirys on Oct 20, 2008 7:36 AM EDT 0 recs
smh
looking at the picture plastered on their website in all of it’s glorious splendor (desean got me big fantasy points for that TD) makes me sick the league would use that particular picture.
to the outside looking in, a 10,000 dollar fine might not seem like a lot to fine an NFL player. fact is, desean is a rookie and isn’t making Javon Walker money. i don’t care who you are, a 10k is always gonna hurt. D-Jack has a family, friends. that money could’ve went a lot of places.
but back to the picture, yeah, they shouldn’t have used that picture. pisses me off that they did, but what are you gonna do.
4th and 26!!!!
by kingofnorth on Oct 20, 2008 7:55 AM EDT 0 recs
that money could've gone a lot of places
Players who bankroll their entire families and friends are always the ones who go broke
"Watching Big Ben kiss the canvas nine times in Philly was like watching a guy fighting a school of sharks -- with everyone rooting for the sharks."
by 700 Level on Oct 20, 2008 9:26 AM EDT 0 recs
One of the things that I like about the NFL is that they pay a lot of attention to stuff like neatness, celebrations etc. That being said, this is really going too far. I do not think that there is one person outside the NFL that can agree they should have been fined. I bet you that Hines Ward is going to be fined for the block on Keith Rivers, Yeah, unfortunately he broke his jaw. But it was a clean play, and a GREAt block. I love that Hines as a WR blocks like a beast.
by LeonSA on Oct 20, 2008 9:36 AM EDT 0 recs
Tremendous take Jason.
I didn’t like their celebration and I didn’t like the fine, but the NFL needs consistency – that pic is not consistent.
by cavortingEagle on Oct 20, 2008 10:21 AM EDT 0 recs
I think the NFL is starting to go too far with fines and penalties for celebration. The Demps/Jackson arm cross seemed pretty subtle to me. Are you going to tell me the Lambeau Leap is fine worthy? At this point, the leap is no less planned than what Demps and Jackson did.
I’ll be interested to see what happens to former Eagle Matt McCoy. Will the league take any action on his DUI? Seems to me driving west on the eastbound lane is a bit more serious.
by Baron Dainer Von Tresvant on Oct 20, 2008 10:29 AM EDT 0 recs
Well he was cut… so I don’t know if there’s any action to take. He’s not in the NFL anymore.
by JasonB on
Oct 20, 2008 10:30 AM EDT
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sure! fines for everyone! step up, get your fine right here.
"When you get that nice celebration coming into the dugout and you're getting your ass hammered by guys - there's no better feeling than to have that done." - Matt Stairs 10/13/08
Gold... Pure Gold...
by foos05 on
Oct 20, 2008 11:20 AM EDT
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At this rate, it won’t be long before Roger’s Smile Gestapo will be out in full force… anyone want to guess who their first target will be?
he does lead the league in smiles per possession….
"When you get that nice celebration coming into the dugout and you're getting your ass hammered by guys - there's no better feeling than to have that done." - Matt Stairs 10/13/08
Gold... Pure Gold...
by foos05 on Oct 20, 2008 11:25 AM EDT 0 recs
There is something about that smile that brings out a bad side in me...
"Watching Big Ben kiss the canvas nine times in Philly was like watching a guy fighting a school of sharks -- with everyone rooting for the sharks."
by 700 Level on
Oct 20, 2008 12:38 PM EDT
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We’ve pretty much all agreed that this is ridiculous but I think the media should use these pictures as often as possible to show the NFL that this is why we watch. I want to see full team celebrations I want to feel like a kid again see that these guys still love this sport as much as I do. I like knowing that when they score they still get excited like it was their first ever touchdown.
I also agree if you are going to shine poor light on these celebrations don’t allow your affiliates (the webmasters) to use them. I mean the media is smart enough to realize that this is what we the viewers want to see. Not some mindless drones just doing a job, we want to see them having fun.
Seriously, how long until high fives are being fined, seems to be that it is pre-meditated and involves 2 or more people, what about the leaping hip bump that is so popular, that should be fined as well, consistency here NFL.
"I need to do a better job of putting players in the right position to perennially come up short of expectations"
by Whodie126 on Oct 20, 2008 12:35 PM EDT 0 recs
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