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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Time To Have Fun Again: On-Air Talent Opine On NFL Possibly Relaxing Celebration Rules

The NFL's celebration rules were slated to be discussed yesterday by the league's Competition Committee, and the possibility of some rules being relaxed in time for the '17 season was championed on the afternoon sports talk shows. ESPN’s Michael Smith said he "assumed the NFL was too uptight to relax on that front." He said, "I hope I'm not getting excited about nothing and the Competition Committee realizes it needs to seriously lighten up. Allowing snow angels and pretend jump shots should be a no-brainer” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 3/1). L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke said amid decreasing television ratings and a jump in celebration penalties being called, NFL players "need to have fun again." ESPN's Israel Gutierrez said, "You’ve got a league looking around and saying, ‘Hey, what’s our reputation here? What do you think of when you hear about the NFL?’ You think of concussions, you think of serious injuries, you think of domestic violence, you think of people protesting the flag and other things. Maybe if you introduce some fun into this and not maintain yourselves as the ‘No Fun League,’ then maybe there are different ways to get your product a little more desirable” ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 3/1). ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser said, “There’s no particular point in being the ‘No Fun League.’” Kornheiser: “You’re asking people to play (a) game where there’s increasing evidence that you can get brain damage from it. ... Not only are you at-risk for that, but we want you to behave in a way that is almost antithetical to the exuberance of athletes” ("PTI," ESPN, 3/1).

OFFICIALLY SPEAKING: ESPN's Bill Polian reported a centralized replay system and full-time referees “both probably are not" going to be implemented before the '17 season. He noted the centralized replay system is “fraught with problems," but remains "more likely” to get passed (“NFL Insiders,” ESPN, 3/1). In DC, Mark Maske reports future NFL instant replay rulings "might be made" by members of the league’s officiating department in N.Y. in "consultation with the referee on the field." NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell "previously mentioned the possibility of utilizing a tablet brought to the field for replay rulings, rather than having the referee walk to a monitor on the sideline." That is part of the league’s "attempt to quicken the pace of games" (WASHINGTON POST, 3/2).

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