NFL's relaxed celebration rules reportedly still don't allow dunking over crossbar
We have Tony Gonzalez and Jimmy Graham to thank for the no-dunking rule
If you're of the opinion that the NFL's militaristic approach to touchdown celebrations was a tad much, you no doubt welcomed the news that the league would be loosening the rules for next season. Specifically, group celebrations, using the ball as a prop after touchdowns, going to the ground and snow angels are all now legal.
Presumably, this means that dunking a football through the goal post -- something Tony Gonzalez made famous and later became a stable of Jimmy Graham's end zone festivities -- is again legal because the football would be considered a prop in this instance.
Turns out, nope.
Such an act remains prohibited, a league source told ESPN's Kevin Seifert. The reason is unclear because the NFL hasn't spoken specifically about what celebrations will be considered legal under the rules change, but commissioner Roger Goodell offered a hint in a letter released Tuesday that made it clear celebrations to "delay the game" are still illegal.
Dunking through the goal posts falls into this category because a) there have been instances where the goal posts have been dislodged and needed to be fixed -- behold:
Oooops! pic.twitter.com/LXsSniOF7C
— Jimmy Graham (@TheJimmyGraham) November 22, 2013
And b) using the goal post as a prop remains a penalty.
So add that to the list of penalties that also include miming weapons or weapons usage, offensive gestures and sexually suggestive celebrations like, say, twerking.
This latest revelation comes days after Bengals coach Marvin Lewis made it clear that he was not a fan of easing end-zone restrictions.
"I'm not for that at all," Lewis, who is on the NFL Competition Committee, said of the change. "We had a good standard, and the whole standard has always been, you want to teach people how to play the game the correct way and go about it the correct way, and that's not a very good example for young people."
Goodell, it sounds like, has more faith in the players.
"Well, I've heard it from Marvin before. We've had these discussions over the last couple years," the commissioner said Tuesday. "And I think the players will prove him wrong on that. I think the players will do this in a way that will be responsible, show good sportsmanship, and do it in a way I think is entertaining but also respectful."
Just no dunking.
















