DMN Blog: Mike and Mike debate excessive celebration penalties

[Doomsday101]

What does that have to do with anything? Roy played well and has one of the most understated TD celebrations in football. There are a lot of things to be wishing for right now with this team, for Roy to not throw up the horns shouldn't be anywhere on the list.

I agree. RW catching TD passes and flashing the Hook'em sign is the least of my worries. Fact is RW is having a very good year and hopefully he continues playing at this level. As much crap as RW has had to deal with the last 2 season he is one of the bright spots on the team and should be given credit for his play instead of the same old BS of attacking him

 

[Stautner]

What does that have to do with anything? Roy played well and has one of the most understated TD celebrations in football. There are a lot of things to be wishing for right now with this team, for Roy to not throw up the horns shouldn't be anywhere on the list.

Roy wasn't flagged for throwing up the horns.

 

[SultanOfSix]

It's known that anything choreographed can be called, and both the Austin leap, and the fact that both Hurd and Roy did the UT thing could be taken as such. Sure I think calling it on Hurd was nitpicking, but you and I can think it's nitpicking all we want and that doesn't change the fact that there is the possibility of a penalty being called.

Man, you're just all for excusing the refs.

The refs can "possibly" call a penalty on any play of the game. That's such an asinine argument.

But I would find positive in such behavior from the refs if I was the coach of the team. It would be an "us against everyone else" mentality. I would say that not only do the players have to beat the other team, and its fans when playing away, they have to beat the biased refs too, and their actions the past two weeks prove it to the team. I would use it as motivation to turn the season around.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

LOL at their ripping Miles when it turns out he didn't do anything wrong.

 

[Gaede]

Players have been told to hand the ball to the refs or set it down. No celebrations. Don't give the refs a reason to throw a flag, because clearly they are looking for one.

I take it even further if I am this team. I stop talking to the media. I tell them that the 5 minutes they spend answering questions about what is wrong is a wasted 5 minutes. I don't provide seats on the plane for the media any more. They're on their own.

Go to the mattresses.

I would LOVE to see the team adopt this mentality. Just shut up and go to work. Focus.

 

[alancdc]

What does that have to do with anything? Roy played well and has one of the most understated TD celebrations in football. There are a lot of things to be wishing for right now with this team, for Roy to not throw up the horns shouldn't be anywhere on the list.

I said it isn't a problem with getting a penatly, and no, it's not a big deal. I just think he has been out of college long enough. Good lord. He can do it his entire career if he wants to. Whatever. I just think its stupid.

 

[Stautner]

Man, you're just all for excusing the refs.

The refs can "possibly" call a penalty on any play of the game. That's such an asinine argument.

But I would find positive in such behavior from the refs if I was the coach of the team. It would be an "us against everyone else" mentality. I would say that not only do the players have to beat the other team, and its fans when playing away, they have to beat the biased refs too, and their actions the past two weeks prove it to the team. I would use it as motivation to turn the season around.

Pay attention. I'm not saying the call was reasonable, and I am not excusing the refs. People that think with their emotion rather than their brain always interperet things like you do though.

I point blank said it was nitpicky, and you can ignore that all you want, but the fact remains that a celebration penalty killed our chances to win one week, and it was incredibly stupid to take any chance at all the same could happen again, even if it seemed to be a remote chance.

Aside from Hurd, the Austin leapfrog was an extraordinary celebration that would be noticed, and while it apparently wasn't called, in the face of what happened the previous week why in the world would you celebrate in a way that would get attention? It was stupid, plain and simple.

To me it's incredibly odd that Cowboy fans would complain that the refs are out to get them, and that they nitpick the Cowboys, and at the same time defend the players for giving the refs a chance to nitpick. Especially when the chance isn't even an on field play that could improve the team's chances to win.

It's also increcdibly odd to me that Cowboy fans would complain about Wade having no backbone, and then suggest he shouldn't take a hard line with his team about doing anything the refs could remotely interperet as an excessive end zone celebration again.

 

[SultanOfSix]

Pay attention. I'm not saying the call was reasonable, and I am not excusing the refs. People that think with their emotion rather than their brain always interperet things like you do though.

I point blank said it was nitpicky, and you can ignore that all you want, but the fact remains that a celebration penalty killed our chances to win one week, and it was incredibly stupid to take any chance at all the same could happen again, even if it seemed to be a remote chance.

Aside from Hurd, the Austin leapfrog was an extraordinary celebration that would be noticed, and while it apparently wasn't called, in the face of what happened the previous week why in the world would you celebrate in a way that would get attention? It was stupid, plain and simple.

I understand you're point, but sure you are.

You're shifting the blame and putting the onus on the victim even though he didn't break any laws. It's a black and white rule as emphasized by the head ref in the previous week, so...

 

[Idgit]

Pay attention. I'm not saying the call was reasonable, and I am not excusing the refs. People that think with their emotion rather than their brain always interperet things like you do though.

I point blank said it was nitpicky, and you can ignore that all you want, but the fact remains that a celebration penalty killed our chances to win one week, and it was incredibly stupid to take any chance at all the same could happen again, even if it seemed to be a remote chance.

Aside from Hurd, the Austin leapfrog was an extraordinary celebration that would be noticed, and while it apparently wasn't called, in the face of what happened the previous week why in the world would you celebrate in a way that would get attention? It was stupid, plain and simple.

To me it's incredibly odd that Cowboy fans would complain that the refs are out to get them, and that they nitpick the Cowboys, and at the same time defend the players for giving the refs a chance to nitpick. Especially when the chance isn't even an on field play that could improve the team's chances to win.

It's also increcdibly odd to me that Cowboy fans would complain about Wade having no backbone, and then suggest he shouldn't take a hard line with his team about doing anything the refs could remotely interperet as an excessive end zone celebration again.

You nail it, Stautner. If the celebrations never happen, the flags don't happen. After losing the game on this the week before, the celebrations should never have happened.

 

[Stautner]

I understand you're point, but sure you are.

You're shifting the blame and putting the onus on the victim even though he didn't break any laws. It's a black and white rule as emphasized by the head ref in the previous week, so...

Saying the players should quit doing things is not excusing the officials, it's just recognizing that the officials are going to call what they are going to call whether I agree with them or not.

The fact is that whether you or I agree or disagree with the ofiicials, the onus does shift to the players to deal with the reality of what officials can and will call. Teh players don't get to make the rules, and you and I don't get to make the rules, so even if you, and I, and the players disagree with a rule or how an official calls a rule, they would be stupid to continually run the risk of having the officials make the call that will hurt the team.

If the players know the rule is vague, and they know the refs call the rule inconsistently and can be nitpicky, then the players have 2 choices. They can (1) keep trying out different things each week to see what the officials in that particular game will allow, or (2) they can take it completely out of the officials hands and not do anything outside of what is always accepted. If we choose option 1 we will continue to run the risk of penalties that can hurt our chances to win, and if we choose option 2 then we score our TD and kickoff from the 30 like we should.

You tell me which option is the smart way to go.