What is legal? What is illegal? When it comes to celebrations in the NFL, no one seems to have a clue. And after wide receiver Antonio Brown was flagged for another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty over the weekend, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is now demanding some answers.
“We have to get some clarity in terms of what’s legal and what’s not,” Tomlin said via ESPN on Tuesday. “I know he doesn’t want it to be a negative thing. He wants to provide positive energy for us and entertain our fans. But we have to get detailed clarity on what he can and cannot do. You’ve got to acknowledge some guys are followed more closely than others. You saw that last night with (Odell) Beckham. AB is probably one of those guys and he probably needs to respond accordingly.”
In Week 1 of the regular season, Brown was penalized and fined for his twerking celebration, so he began to switch things up. And after reaching the endzone on Sunday, Brown did a few hip thrusts.
Again, the referees sent the yellow flying.
streethistory: Antonio Brown TD dance NBC Sunday Night Football: Chiefs at Steelers https://t.co/xGRg1bBcfy pic.twitter.com/g8HAoq44wy
— FanSportsClips (@FanSportsClips) October 3, 2016
This time however, the NFL celebrated Brown’s touchdown and subsequent endzone dance on their official Twitter account. Needless to say, you can understand Tomlin’s frustration and confusion.
After Sunday’s game, Brown insinuated that he’s targeted by NFL officials, which is similar to what New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has claimed in recent weeks.
Given the accusations and overall level of confusion, vice president of officiating Dean Blandino tells ESPN that the league will address this very topic in the coming weeks.
