Players fined for end-zone celebration
The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Eagles
Players fined for end-zone celebration
Jeff McLane and Bob Brookover
DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek and four other Eagles were fined $10,000 each for their end zone celebration after Celek's second-quarter touchdown in the Eagles' 38-10 win over Carolina on Sunday.
Jamaal Jackson, Kevin Curtis, Stacy Andrews and Alex Smith also were fined. The players received letters today from the league office via FedEx.
After Celek scored on a nine-yard TD reception, he handed the football to Jamaal Jackson. Several players encircled Jackson and DeSean Jackson. Jamaal Jackson spiked the football, at which point DeSean Jackson flopped to the ground. The other players -- Celek, Curtis Andrews and Smith -- hopped upon the spike. The clip is on youtube.
DeSean Jackson received a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the celebration, and then a stern warning from coach Andy Reid.
Told that he could have avoided the entire mess if he had simply held on to the football, Celek refused to take the blame for $60,000 in fines and said he was appealing his fine.
"I was just trying to give it to a lineman to let him spike it," Celek said.
Winston Justice also was fined $5,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on a run by Brian Westbrook. He also said he'd appeal.
These fines come after the league decided that the hit on Donovan McNabb in the end zone by Panthers defensive tackle Damione Lewis was legal and not worthy of a fine. McNabb, of course, fractured a rib on the play.
Hate all you want, but it is what it is.... In a vote of 29-3, the owners gave officials power to penalize a team 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff for excessive celebrations anywhere on the field. Spikes, dunks, Lambeau Leaps, spins, dances and simple celebrations will be allowed. But penalties will be given for any celebration other than that.— phila215- The fact that the panther player did not get fined for that late hit tells me all i need to know about the NFL policy makers! Completely ridiculous.— jkidd49
- Earth to NFL, come in NFL....football is not that important it is merely a form of entertainment. Stop taking yourself so serious this isn't brain surgery folks.— mindstorms
- This is so whack!!!! For the first time since TO, I actually liked and looked forward to see the next celebration. I thought it was good because it was a "team" effort!!! PUT THE FUN BACK IN SPORTS!!!!— M.A.D.O.D.A.A.T.
- The 'No Fun League' at it's best, once again....first of all, I'm sick of all the old folks saying " act like you've been there before" ; the guy that coined that saying has been dead for years, and his son (Mike Brown) runs an organization ( bengals) that has been traditionally awful for years, probably because they're living in the past. I don't think an endzone celebration has much affect one way or the other on the integrity of the game; but the over the top in game penalties absolutely have a huge impact on the integrity of the game. Sveral games have been decided by this stupid rule; in college I believe Washington St lost a game due to this rule, and in the pros KC beat Cleveland in a game they didn't earn several years ago; and just to show you I'm not a homer the Eagles beat Dallas at the Vet ( I believe it was 2001, don't quote me) in a game they didn't really earn, due to thse absurd rules. OK, it's fun to beat the stinking Cowboys for any reason, but overall I'm much more comfortable with Joe Horn making a fake phone call, or Chad Johnson or TO acting like a clown after the play, then I am with the zebras determining the outcome of the game, with a cheap unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Just fine them if you must, leave the in game unsportsmanlike penalties to things like late hits, fights.etc.— drbob1
- again, i'll sell my house and car and pay the fine if I can shove the money in roger goodell's A.S.S!!!— dos_equis
i think that fat lineman never ran so fast as when he saw dMac lying ther unprotected - HE TOOK 4 STEPS TO HIT DMac , less steps that q demps did when 'pushed into' the punter & got flagged— daveH- NO ONE HAS Answered the question.... What the h. e. double hockey stick was that celebration supposed to be anyway? Grenade? I have no idea except that it sucked. Please enlighten me.— Mr Mister
Im still trying to figure out what they were trying to portray?!? If it was interesting, or cool, or looked like something I cant figure it out. If organized and pre-planned is the requirement for a penalty, I think we're in the clear on this one!— Neebo- Since when is hitting a teammate with your helmet a finable offense? Is the NFL that strapped for cash!? What's the matter, my $400 (combined with millions of others) to DirectTV not enough for you?
Comment removed.- Our Players are fined for our celebration while a intentional late hit on Donavan McNabb goes unpunished. Real fair NFL!— ChrisM
- What's the fine for getting your Michael Phelps on?— LastWord
- What were these moronic players thinking? Football is NOT a game!— mjb
- Let's punish the team for a celebration but ignore the late hit on their QB that broke a rib. Doesn't the league office review the film of all the games and look at missed calls or did I just dream that?— mrsdoc
