No Fun in College Football

The NCAA rules committee is once again taking the fun out of college football. The focus this year will once again be on "excessive celebration". Officials will be able to call spot-fouls on players who celebrate before the end zone and...wait...write messages on their eye black (gasp).

I do not have a problem with officials flagging players who taunt their opponents or who showboat as if they are Ochocinco or TO, but for the NCAA to put in a rule in where officials have the power to take points off the board in ludicrous.

If a kid fakes a player out of his shoes and then runs 85-yards for a touchdown, then it's a touchdown. If he flips into the end zone or does the primetime dance before crossing the goal line then throw a flag and enforce it on the PAT or kickoff, do not take away the score. These are young kids showing emotion and passion for the sport they love. They are not robots or even worse the emotionless players in the NFL who only care about money.

College football is all about emotion. The bands, fans, rivalries, stadiums, and traditions are what college football is all about. The game is built around excitement. I'm all for sportsmanship, it's what the NCAA is all about according to those annoying commercials we see on CBS or ESPN, but let's not get carried away with it.

And the eye black ordeal, really? I have yet to see a player write a curse word on their eye black, or even their phone number for girls to give them a call after the game. Give me a break, if a player writes the zip code of their hometown or the name of their late mother then let them do it. Don't become the NFL who fines players for the wrong towel or sock length. Would the NCAA really penalize Tim Tebow for writing scripture on his eye black?

The excessive celebration penalty falls under rule 9-2, Article I (a)(1)(d) which says that "any delayed , excessive, prolonged or choreographed act by which a player (or players) attempts to focus attention upon himself (or themselves)", the rule also goes on to say the player must return the ball immediately to the official after a score.

The NCAA is simply scared of the past. The rules for excessive celebration were created because of the Miami teams of the '90's. The "U" portrayed the image that the NCAA hated. Miami wasn't like old fashion Notre Dame or Nebraska, they were rough and tough and enjoyed the spotlight. Players like Michael Irving thrived on talking trash and backing it up with his play.

I don't want to see players celebrate like X-PAC and give the "suck it" sign but let the kids enjoy themselves a bit. The stupid celebration rule cost Georgia its game against LSU last season and cost Washington its game against BYU two years ago. In both cases the flags were called on players celebrating as a team, high-fiving and hugging each other. The celebrations were not choreographed or prolonged, they were simply the result of the emotion and excitement of the game.

The NCAA is acting like players are truly offended when someone celebrates against them. What is this, one of those little league functions where everyone gets a trophy?