No Fun Allowed in Football

Regular readers will recall that in February the NCAA Rules Committee recommended approving a new rule that would strip touchdowns for taunting penalties, along with a ban on personalized eyeblack messages — area-code shout outs, Bible verses, etc. — that threaten innocent American consumers with genuine individual expression during their carefully crafted weekend broadcasts. Wednesday, the Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) made both rules official(emphasis added):

The change means, for example, that if a player makes a taunting gesture to an opponent on the way to scoring a touchdown, the flag would nullify the score and penalize the offending team from the spot of the foul.

Penalties for dead-ball misconduct fouls (for example, unsportsmanlike behavior after the player crosses the goal line) would continue to be assessed on the ensuing kickoff or the extra point/two point conversion attempt.

In another action that affects the coming season, PROP confirmed that players are not allowed to have any symbols or messages on their eye black starting in the 2010 season

- Matt Hinton

Are you kidding me? This is bad for more than just the game of football. When someone loses or fails in life they are going to have it rubbed in their face. Getting some taunting gives a little bit of incentive to knock that person around the next time you play them and motivation to not lose again. Sorry NCAA but I do not believe we live in Utopia. We live in a world of people that take their GPA's, their new jobs, their brand new Porches, and their hot girlfriends/boyfriends, and shove it in anyones and everyones faces that they can. Hell, when I get a new shirt I want people to see me wearing it. And no messages on eye black? Are they trying to just take away whatever they can?

So let's think about it. Is it possible a ref may make calls that are undeserving? Yes. Is it possible a ref won't make calls that he should have? Yes. Is it possible that celebrating on the way to the end zone can realistically have an effect on whether or not there is a touchdown? Unless you're DeSean Jackson, No. Do football players care about what's written under another persons eyes? No.

These are premiere division 1 college athletes. They are not children, they can handle some douche dancing to the goal line. I'm pretty sure, when that happens, the guys get over it. Anyone that has ever been in a locker room knows there are far worse things that could happen in sports than a little taunting or a shout out to Jesus on some eye black.

I guess all I have to say is... Let 'em play ref!