As most of you know, the NFL put a rule into place this offseason that will ban dunking on the goal posts as a form of celebration next season. Any player who chooses to go Jimmy Graham on the big yellow posts will be assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson believes he has found a loophole in the rule.
“I’m still going to dunk,” Johnson told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press over the weekend. “I just won’t touch the rim.”
Sorry, Megatron, but I don’t think that will work. NFL officials have enough to worry about during the game, so I doubt the league is going to ask them to determine whether or not players actually touched the goal posts while throwing the ball threw them. It’s going to be a penalty if you do that whether you make contact with the crossbar or not.
Johnson isn’t the only one who plans to boycott the rule. Graham said last month that he is expecting to be penalized plenty next season.
I guess I'll have to lead the @nfl in penalties next year! #funpolice pic.twitter.com/MQRFXgvaGN
— Jimmy Graham (@TheJimmyGraham) March 25, 2014
Chances are both guys are just messing around. If it was a matter of being fined, that would be one thing. But I doubt either player is going to jeopardize his team by taking a 15-yard penalty just to celebrate a certain way. The No Fun League has spoken. Unfortunately, it’s time to adjust.
H/T Eye on Football
