I have long been a critic of “excessive celebration” violations in the NFL and the growing crude and thuggish conduct of players. While some may view me a bit prudish, I find it incredibly offensive to see NFL players (or entertainers at games) swearing and making offensive gestures as millions of people, including children, are watching. The latest such transgression was committed by Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin who decided to pretend that he was defecating on a ball in Super Bowl XLIX last Sunday. While the network quickly cut away, my family (including my kids) immediately saw and understood what Baldwin was doing. Even my nine-year-old thought it was “disgusting.” The Seahawks seem determined that they will, to use their motto, “leave no doubt” that they will not comply with minimal standards of conduct in the NFL.
The Seahawks have been in news continually over the conduct of its players who are viewed by many as out of control. There is no question about their talent, but the Seahawks have a serious problem with players who seem incapable of acting like adults, let alone professionals, during and after games. Last year, many of us were critical of the conduct of Richard Sherman who was fined for his conduct in an interview on the field. Sherman has continued his taunting and unprofessional commentary this season. However, it was his teammates who drew more fines. While I support Marshawn Lynch for his refusal to speak with the media, he should have been fined for his insistence on grabbing his crotch to celebrate plays. Instead of yielding to a reasonable request that he not make offensive gestures at the Superbowl, Lynch and his supporters made it a game to donate any fine amount to charity to encourage him to grab his crotch.
Now we have Baldwin who thinks it is funny to pretend that you are defecating on the ball. The former Stanford University wideout did the act after a touchdown pass in the third quarter in the Superbowl when he stood over the ball on the ground and made a motion that resembled pulling down his pants, before squatting over the ball. How clever.
The blame for this record clearly falls on Pete Carroll who seems unwilling to stand up to his elite players (a tendency that is only likely to worsen as he hunkers down after a moronic call that likely cost his team the Superbowl win on Sunday). What is clear is that Carroll will not impose any discipline on his team (which is also why the Seahawks are the most penalized team in the NFL with 416 in three seasons). This includes a fistfight at the end of the Super Bowl that gave Seahawks linebacker Bruce Irvin the distinction of being tossed out of a Super Bowl.
Baldwin should have been tossed out of the game. He obviously should be fined (if not suspended) but the question is whether the NFL needs to explore a team sanction for the Seahawks for their conduct during the season. There is a culture of juvenile and uncivil conduct on the team. I have complained for years that stadiums have been taken over the lowest common denominator of drunks and thugs. The same trend is occurring on the field with the players. I am not ready to give up on the notion of minimal requirements of civility and maturity from players. The NFL needs to be even more aggressive on player misconduct. Indeed, I think the loosening of the rule on celebration has fueled juvenile players like Baldwin. I truly love football and I love watching it with my kids. As I have said earlier, I no longer go to stadium so that they are not exposed to loud, swearing, drunken fans that now are so common. The players however are making it increasingly difficult to watch the games when you have to worry that a Seahawks wide receiver is going to pretend to be relieving himself on a ball.
I realize that there are people who think that his sophomoric conduct is really really funny. The question is whether the NFL will join a race to the bottom with the Seahawks or whether it will force owner Paul Allen, Carroll and others to reintroduce an element of professionalism on their team. It is a bad sign when a network under obscenity rules has to cut away rather than let people see the conduct of your players at the Superbowl.
Source: CBS
http://media.jrn.com/images/mjs-moore_3.jpg
Coach Lombardi was very tough on celebrations on the field. He didn’t go for people who taunted the other team and rubbed their noses in it. He always said when you score a touchdown “Just hand the ball to ref and walk away. Act like you have been there before.” Which means the end zone of course.
Most of our players adhered to those rules. I mean some of the Negro players were a little more animated. Elijah Pitts did a Watusi dance once and the Coach suspended him for two games. I thought that was a little harsh. I mean he was caught up in the action and got over enthusiastic and excited. Sort of like Hornung when he would shower with the rookies in training camp.
The thing about celebrations is the most unlikely guys sometimes surprised you. I remember in the playoff bowl against the Cleveland Browns Tom Moore caught a swing pass and ran 99 yards for a touchdown. He couldn’t believe it. He was just a back-up and here was his chance to shine. He scored two TDs in that game. But on this one he made a big mistake.
You see after he ran 99 yards he took the ball and threw it as hard as he could into the ground and it bounced up in the air. They call that a spike or something like that there. That was the first time we saw it and of all people Tom Moore did it!
When he realized what he had done he was very shamefaced. He sort of sidled back to the sideline and tried to stay away from Coach. He didn’t want to be reprimanded. He was very sensitive that way. Coach knew that so he didn’t yell and scream. When he called him to carry in a play on the next offense sequence he knew what to do.
He burned him with his cigarette.
(Instant Replay- The Unedited Edition, Jerry Kramer & Dick Schaap Random House, 1968)
I guess word press ate my comment or it wasn’t politically correct enough to meet the free speech standard.
Good discussion here, gents. Isaac, I read an interview this morning in the San Diego paper. Carroll stated he never calls a play thinking, “what if he throws a pick” or “what if he fumbles. For ALL the derision I have for Carroll, he has taken the hit and done “the buck stops here” admirably. I can be objective. We agree, it was a bad play selection on several levels.
Oh and one more thing.
GET OFF OF MY LAWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Is that old white man enough for you)
The NFL could rid itself of the vast majority of excessive celebrations & other offensive behavior by making clear what will & will not be tolerated & imposing severe fines and/or suspensions on offenders. The NHL could also get rid of fights that way. Neither does because the fans like it & it costs the owners nothing so why stop it? As far as Seattle being heavily penalized that’s nothing but a cost-benefit decision. Seattle has been doing very well lately so I can’t challenge Carrol’s judgement on that one–you can’t call a head coach a failure for not wining consecutive super bowls. Although Seattle might have been able to salvage the game if the offensive lineman hadn’t gone off-sides in the closing minute when Brady had to take the snap in the end zone. But the decision to pass, whoever made it, seems to defy comprehension. It would have been a terrible idea even if it worked.
Nick
To be clear, the old white man comment was a cultural and not political reference. The humor was found not in that I thought ya’ll were being racist, but rather because I envisioned my grandfather having this same discussion. I’m an avid reader of the blog and will continue to be.
Nick
I understand the ‘random tactic’ aspect of the decision. No one was supposed to expect a pass to the group in the middle. My point is that it wasn’t necessary and, as proved, too risky. To throw a pass is to invite an interception. Things are too confusing where he threw it, too many players. Regardless of time outs and what the other side could or could not do, there were two safe and more sure options. Firstly everyone push to one side and Wilson carries it in or two guys simply toss him and the ball a couple of yards. Secondly, fake a pass or a run to one side and Wilson runs it in on the other with a couple of blockers. He does this for a dozen yards plus often enough.
I would have tried a refined close to sure thing play first. The pass on the third or fourth down.
The receiver was just too covered.
Seattle plays mostly on magical stuff. The Patriots are methodical and use more weapons spread out evenly. Wilson running it in would have been Seattle Magic.
Anyway it would have been magical if it had worked and Carrol would have been a magician instead of the goat.
In chess, each move is the start of a new game.
issac – I cannot remember who the coach was that said it but when you throw the ball only three things can happen and two of them are bad. 🙂
[music- to the tune of The Jets-]
You’re a Dork! You’re a Dork!
You’re a Dork all the way!
From your first lemonaide to your last fluffy braid!
You smile at the camera and your team wastes away.
You’re a Dork since the First Grade— till your last dying day!
TJ, Thanks for a substantive response. I truly appreciate that. JT is a huge sports fan. He often has sports posts as well as cultural stuff that interests him. If you look through the archives, it has always been that way. The core of JT’s blog is rule of law posts that you prefer. JT is a Renaissance Man. His sometimes eclectic posts reflect that. Crude behavior in sports and in our culture in general is one of JT’s pet peeves. Sometimes I think he’s prudish and when so, I call him on it. In this instance, I agree w/ his take on this. But, calling him racist for calling athletes on behavior like this, which has occurred here, is amongst many things, simply incorrect. I know I’m not racist, and I can vouch for a few here. Will there be racists here or elsewhere in instances like this where their racist views are the motivation for jumping on this guy. ABSOLUTELY. But, if you’re observant, you can usually pick them out.
I turned on the tv for the last three minutes of the game. It was fun to watch this ending. What struck me was the dork who is the coach for the Seahawks. His posing on the tv screen is really dork. Then he pulled his Superbowl play which ended the game. Civility includes not being a dork on national television.
Nick
I agree on the principle. Problem is, this is what riles everyone up?! I thought this blog cared about the rule-of-law. There are thousands of other stories to cover dealing with that issue with a much greater impact.
TJustice – as you requested I sent you an email.
If a white player did this, we would call him out as well.
A group of people that reject people defecating on footballs via simulation. But, this guy and his actions are all yours, TJ. You own him and his ilk. I don’t abide white guilt or enabling, and neither do many other folks. The man is acting a fool and we are calling him on it. That’s the way it’s supposed to work!!
Haha a bunch of old, white males who love tradition.
Nick Spinelli – “My analysis is this. Carroll expected Belichick to call a timeout. The chess king, Belichick, did not.”
Nick, that was my take after I had time to think about how the game played out. Belickick reminds me a lot of Joe Torre during the Yankees dominance of the mid to late 90’s. Every move he makes seems to pan out.
Chip indeed wins the thread. But, to answer the question, I never have.
Chip S. said….
In all fairness, nick, who hasn’t porked a USC cheerleader?
Thread winner! 🙂
JT, this just seems like a good opportunity to teach your kids about what are reasonable social values and what is unacceptable public behavior, and to express WHY some things are good and others are bad. Many kids are not so fortunate to have an intelligent, responsible father as you are, who teaches how to THINK about a situation in order to determine appropriate behavior. There are people in the world who do try to spit on others and everyone learns early how to respond to them either from their parents, teachers, or the thugs themselves. Parents get to choose which it will be.
And, as far as throwing someone to the pigs, Al Swearingen in Deadwood threw them to Wu’s pigs ALIVE!
Isaac, My analysis is this. Carroll expected Belichick to call a timeout. The chess king, Belichick, did not. Whatever you think of Belichick, you cannot deny his greatness. Anyway, that curve ball fooled Carroll. So, he flashed, “I need a pass play, if it’s incomplete it will stop the clock and I can retain my final timeout.” Carroll would NEVER admit he buckled on a curveball. And, Belichick will NEVER reveal what his thinking was. So, it’s just conjecture, one of my favorite aspects of sport.
I love your selected donations. I spent a lot of time @ my local Boy’s Club. Denzel Washington is a huge supporter. When I was a juvenile probation officer in KC I had a kid who was a perfect fit for Boy’s Town. He was abandoned by his family. Got involved w/ petty property crimes. He was smart as hell, but needed structure. Getting a kid into Boy’s Town, @ least back then, was difficult. I was able to get him in and drove Ernest up to Nebraska and moved him into his group home there. One of too few successes.