Celebration Penalties in College Football –Stupid

[jmig]

LSU won a tight game against University of Georgia today. They were helped by a stupid celebration penalty against Georgia after scoring the go ahead touchdown with 3:00 min left.

This meant Georgia had to kick off to LSU from their 25 yard line. LSU ran the ball back past the 50 yard line into Georgia territory and went on to retake the lead with their own touchdown.

Now, I am VERY happy LSU won. However, I think that penalizing 18-20 year old kids for being excited over succeeding sucks and is totally stupid. It sends the wrong message and cheapens their success.

In a "one wrong can be fixed by another wrong" moment, the officials also penalized LSU after they scored with 1:00 minute remaining. LSU's defense stopped Georgia on their final attempt to score.

Georgia fans, your team played one hell of a second half.

[jkcook28]

I'll have to say I'm all for these penalties. Tho certainly not in this case today, I'm weary of these players getting in the oppositions' face, taunting the crowd, pointing at their own greatness, giving the throat slash hand signal, etc.
Selfish celebrations by the back/receiver/ q'back, when in reality they get planted in the backfield without linemen blocking; they deserve it. If the league really wanted to stop this, they penalize 15 yds from the previous spot...no touchdown.
This applies to the NFL too.
:a1451:

rant over. :d

On a positive note, that was a pretty good game!

[Snuffy]

Player celebrations as long as they're held to a minimum and not overbearing, like maybe a fist pumping or something like that, and as long as it is short lived, I can't see being penalized.

Its when the "celebration" goes into excess and appears to be provacative then the penalties need to be applied.

Should it happen in college football? Absolutely by all means. Because its from college teams that the pros get their stock ... train them early on and you will have better and more respectable teams in the pros.

I'd take the penalizing of this all the way back to high school and little league teams if it would help instill proper respect for the game in the players.

[deKoven]

I has ta say that both penalties were well deserved. It's all part and parcel with the fundamental lack of civility and manners that are no longer taught to our young people. I'm sure that athletes of old THOUGHT perhaps in the same manner but were too "well bred" to show what their thoughts were out in public.

:engel016:

[Trans_23]

I didn't see the penalty so I can't comment if I felt it was right or wrong. I do know the refs in college and the pros are seem to be very quick with the pentaly flags this year. Watching the Nortre Dame yesterday a d-lineman mearly bumped into the QB and they threw a roughing the passer penalty. Didn't even knock him down. As far a celebrations, I was always told, act like you been there (done that) before.

[jmig]

I has ta say that both penalties were well deserved. It's all part and parcel with the fundamental lack of civility and manners that are no longer taught to our young people. I'm sure that athletes of old THOUGHT perhaps in the same manner but were too "well bred" to show what their thoughts were out in public.

:engel016:

With civility and manners, I have to disagree with your belief the penalties were deserved. Especially, the one on Georgia.

I can understand grandstanding and Dieon Sanders type of celebrations. However, to tell a kid or team that he/they can not celebrate a successful achievement takes away from the accomplishment and, it sends a message that what was done wasn't important.

That is ridicules in my opinion. These players train long and hard to be as good as they are. They give up much freedom and college activities taken for granted by their fellow non-athlete students. They do it to achieve bigger and greater goals. They should be proud.

I did not see taunting, or narcissistic "look at me" motions from the Georgia receiver. The LSU player put both forefingers up into the air, which could mean many things. I do not think he was being excessive either. However, if either of them should have been flagged, I would say the LSU player was more demonstrative with his celebration.

As I said in my OP, I am glad LSU won. I feel they would have driven close enough to kick a field goal even without the penalty. I just feel the penalty was a slap in the face to Georgia and took away considerably from the emotional uplift Georgia gained from the touchdown.

Let the two teams play and keep the refs out of the outcome.