Is the NFL done penalizing players for having a little fun?
The league was all about throwing flags for excessive celebration to start the 2016 season. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the penalties, too, saying “our players are role models” who should be held to “professional standards.” But the league apparently has realized that “professional” means something different to guys who play a game for a living, as was evident in Monday night’s Cincinnati Bengals-New York Giants matchup.
Just before halftime, Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw a touchdown pass to a wide open Odell Beckham Jr. to regain the lead over the Bengals. The wide receiver broke out an awesome rendition of the dance from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” but Beckham, who has been flagged for celebrating already this season, got off scot-free.
In fact, the NFL even made a gif of it and posted it to Twitter.
The NFL probably won’t lose its “No Fun League” nickname any time soon, but this at least is a step in the right direction.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
