Well, it's been 15 minutes, which means it's time for the NFL Gestapo to sanction somebody -- anybody -- for breaking a rule that the majority of the football-viewing public couldn't care less about: yep, the scourge of professional sports everywhere: choreographed group celebrations. Jeebus.
During Wednesday's Official Review segment on Total Access, head of officiating Mike Pereira admitted that the Ronnie Brown et al touchdown shimmy highlighted above (around the 5:30 mark) should've been flagged because it was premeditated. No penalty was called, but the league, clearly looking to send a message to would-be end zone gyraters around the country, did slap Brown with a fine.
After scoring on a 5-yard run out of the Wildcat formation, Brown and two of his offensive linemen, Vernon Carey and Ikechuku Ndukwe, gathered in the end zone and performed the Cupid Shuffle, which is a line dance.
The choreographed performance, which Brown admitted he and the entire starting line practiced during last Friday's walkthrough, violates the league's rules against group celebrations, which must be spontaneous. ...
Brown would only say "enough" when asked about the amount of the fine, although the Sun-Sentinel's Omar Kelly writes that "such infractions typically go for about $7,500." (But, hey, at least the NFL is consistent about meting out the punishment.)
If anything, Brown should be punished for admitting that he and his teammates actually practiced the celebration that still looked like three drunk guys dancing together at a fraternity party.
By the way, if you watch the video above, you'll see rookie first-round pick Jake Long bag out on the Cupid Shuffle a few seconds in "because he didn't want to get fined." Also acceptable: "because he didn't want to look a drunk fraternity dude."
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