The NFL loosened its touchdown celebration rules this offseason, prompting Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira to call it "a step back" for the league. Pereira: "It's a sad day. ... This is not allowed in college. It’s not allowed in high school. It’s not allowed in Pop Warner. But now we set the tone as supposedly the idols, and kids are going to watch these acts again. And, to me, this is about the team, not the individual. They’re going to play to ESPN to see if they can get on the highlights. To me, it’s just a real step backward" (PROFOOTBALLTALK.com, 6/11).
COUNTRY ROADS: In Nashville, Adam Sichko noted Joe Mattioli III, whose family owns Pocono Raceway, "leads a group vying to bring a road race to Nashville." The group is "expected to appear before the Metro Sports Authority at its June 15 meeting" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/9).
WATCHFUL EYE: Genie Bouchard fell in the second round of the French Open to Anastasija Sevastova, and SI.com's Jon Wertheim wrote, "You have to think that all of these losses are being noted closely by the USTA." The USTA is the defendant in Bouchard’s tort lawsuit, which is "expected to go to trial after the U.S. Open" (SI.com, 6/11).
