The 2023 NFL season has undoubtedly been a lot of fun, but occasionally we’re reminded that NFL doesn’t always stand for the National Football League—it may also mean No Fun League. Here’s one of those times.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s eight-yard touchdown run, his second of the game, gave the Baltimore Ravens a commanding 31-10 lead over the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. Following the sprint, Jackson gave a Forrest Gump impression and carried on racing straight into the tunnel. Jackson’s teammates, including starting right tackle Morgan Moses, who brought a camera to ensure the post-play celebration was properly captured, greeted him as he returned to the field to celebrate.
Luckily for Morgan Moses, Spotrac reports that he has made over $40 million in his ten-year career, so the $13,659 punishment he received today won’t exactly bankrupt him. However, I do have an issue with the NFL occasionally seeming to go out of its way to discourage players from having fun—which perhaps isn’t such a big concern when you consider that we’re talking about adult men enjoying a game. Was Morgan Moses’ celebration hurtful to anyone? Did his celebration cause a major delay in the game? Did he do something that would be seen as insulting or nasty, or something that undermines the game’s credibility?
I hope Moses takes two cameras and brings them to celebrate with Lamar Jackson the next time he runs for a touchdown, maybe tomorrow in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Refuse to pay the fine and keep proving to the NFL that the letter “L” in NFL can mean both “League” and “Lighten the hell up.”
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