Lionbackers.com

1. An end to the idiotic celebrations after truly-routine plays when your team is being thrashed and the game is almost over. Actually, I'd like to see an end to the seemingly-mandatory ego displays after routine plays period, but the crime is augmented when your team is being crushed (and we can only hope for so much....) Like this little choreographic gem from yesterday's Bears-Patriots game, with the score 48-23 for the Patriots and about 3 minutes remaining, where we have the Bears' Lamarr Houston rip up his ACL celebrating (and, yup, he says he'd do it all over again):

http://www.nfl.com/videos/chicago-bears ... elebrating

2. An end to the players milling around a referees' huddle (to resolve a penalty) and frantically pointing that the penalty is against the other team--sort of like reporters trying to be the first to launch a scoop. Can we just let the referees tell us?

3. An end to the mindless instant (and I mean instant) display signalling a fumble recovery for your team after a fumble and a pile-up in which it is completely unclear who is at the bottom and has the ball. The time between the resulting pile and the first signal of who has recovered can be measured in nanoseconds--and, of course, the call is wrong about 50% of the time.

Just a few incidental ruminations coughed up on a slow Monday.

Oh, and feel free to add your own....

2 and 3 don't bother me.

But #1 does annoy especially with the Lions this year when their REC corps is overall doing nothing and a guy makes a decent catch.

Momma - always said - when you make a good play act like you have actually done it before.

While my momma didn't say it - I have always practiced that principle in soccer and football and even as a coach I don't get all excited and animated when we score.

As a coach I don't mind a quick celebration but I get my team back fast and ready for an attack from the opponent. I want my team to act like it is routine when we score or make a big play.

BUT I would not take it out of the game as the fans seem to like it.

The team shouldn't be paying the salary of a player who injures himself celebrating.

I hate it when a ball carrier starts to celebrate a TD while on the way to the end zone but before they actually score. How many times does a guy get caught from behind and then no score? Between the CFL and NFL it has happened at least 2 times this season already. :bang

If I were a HC I would fine players incrementally for each yard that they are away from the end zone when the celebrations started.

Receivers calling for a PI flag on almost every play!

ziggy wrote:Receivers calling for a PI flag on almost every play!

At least the CFL has taken a step in the right direction by penalizing players for doing the flag gesture.

Hambone wrote:

ziggy wrote:Receivers calling for a PI flag on almost every play!

At least the CFL has taken a step in the right direction by penalizing players for doing the flag gesture.

I agree but what does a player do when he wants to signal his HC to throw a challenge flag? On second thought, I image Chapedlaine must have had some two hand multi move gesture to communicate the need for a challenge flag.

Toppy Vann wrote:As a coach I don't mind a quick celebration but I get my team back fast and ready for an attack from the opponent. I want my team to act like it is routine when we score or make a big play. BUT I would not take it out of the game as the fans seem to like it.

Yeah, I think that's probably true about the fans liking it, and if it increases the entertainment value and gets more bums in seats, I guess in the long run it's all to the good. But as you say, a quick celebration (but not when the team's being crushed), like a brief fist pump, and then back to business. It's the long, choreographed performances (practiced at length in the player's bathroom before the game) that get to me.

DanoT wrote:I hate it when a ball carrier starts to celebrate a TD while on the way to the end zone but before they actually score. How many times does a guy get caught from behind and then no score? Between the CFL and NFL it has happened at least 2 times this season already. :bang

If I were a HC I would fine players incrementally for each yard that they are away from the end zone when the celebrations started.

If the HC starts fining players for these sort of things it won't be long before the players' conversations shift from where it should be to gripes about fines and the HC. If a HC has to fine players that is the weakest position to manage from.

What I find shocking is how bad some teams are to let their guys hold the ball on the way to the goal in an unprotected way risking it being stripped.

Only in the pros do they ever get away with that.

In youth football even if you scored but held the ball riskily you got dumped on. It just wasn't down with the coaches I had.

I don't think fines would be required. Just a reinforcement about professionalism and what that looks like.

The classiest players keep it short, simple and dignified.

The players do look REALLY dumb doing the big celebration when their team is getting THUMPED in the only place it matters.....the scoreboard.

I wish players would stop protesting calls too. Hockey is even worse, IMO. Guy does a two-handed crosscheck in a guys back and then all the way to the penalty box. The players making the calls for the officials by pointing is annoying. I really do NOT like watching players complain when a replay CLEARLY shows they DID DO what they are getting penalized for. I guess some of that complaining is related to other issues (he hit me first, look what he did last play etc...).