“It’s my Second Amendment, I have the right to bear arms,” Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce quipped, throwing a comedic haymaker at the NFL’s celebration crackdown. Little did he know, his words would foreshadow a storm of controversy brewing on the gridiron.
On October 6, 2024, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb sparked an uproar during the week 5 matchup against the Steelers. MLFootball broke the news on X: “BREAKING: THE REFS DID NOT CALL A FLAG ON #COWBOYS WR CEEDEE LAMB FOR HIS BASIC FIRST DOWN DUN CELEBRATION.” This non-call left fans and players alike scratching their heads, given the recent string of penalties for similar gestures.
Previously, New York Giants’ Darius Slayton felt the full force of the NFL’s new stance. After hauling in a deep 41-yard catch against the Seahawks, Slayton celebrated by pointing downfield. The refs wasted no time, hitting him with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Their interpretation? Slayton’s gesture mimicked a gun motion.
Slayton’s case isn’t an isolated incident. Jets‘ Allen Lazard got slapped with a $14,000 fine for a finger-gun move in Week 4. Even Lamb himself had previously coughed up a whopping $25,324 for a questionable gesture in Week 3. The NFL’s reasoning? Keeping things family-friendly and promoting player safety.
But the inconsistency in enforcement has set the football world abuzz. It’s kicked off a heated debate about where to draw the line between safety concerns and letting players express themselves on the field. As Jonathan Jones tweeted, “NFL isn’t playing when it comes to anything close to guns. Officials and the league via fines cannot make that any clearer through 5 weeks.”
Travis Kelce weighs in for a call for common sense
Kelce, never one to shy away from controversy, tackled the issue head-on during his ‘New Heights’ podcast this week. Defending Jets receiver Allen Lazard’s penalized celebration, he said, “I know we don’t want this to be like ‘Oh, NFL players shooting guns,’ – I get that. But this is so subtle.”
The Chiefs tight end, known for his own ‘bow and arrow’ celebration, argued against penalties that directly impact the game. “If you want to fine the guy after the game for doing it, whatever. That’s up to the NFL for wanting to protect their league,” he stated. “But I think it’s absolutely ridiculous that a guy is on the ground shooting pointing fingers for getting a first down saying, ‘We’re going that way’ or whatever he might be doing – I just think it’s too much, man.”
Kelce’s brother Jason Kelce, a former Eagles center, chimed in with his own take. “If it’s directed at somebody . . . I agree it should be taunting. But if you’re just doing it like I’m shooting guns up at the sky, what the hell are we doing? How is that taunting?”
The debate has left players feeling caught between a rock and a hard place. Lazard, still reeling from his fine, plans to challenge the league’s decision as per Wfin.com. “If I am, they’re definitely going to exempt it, because it wouldn’t make sense to fine someone for something you never warned them [about],” he argued.
As the NFL tries to navigate this minefield of player expression and public perception, one thing’s clear: the game we love is changing. Whether that change is for better or worse? Well, that’s a call even the refs might struggle to make.
