Syracuse and Kansas State played an amazing game this afternoon at Yankee Stadium in the inaugural 'Pinstripe Bowl'. Down 36-28 late in the 4th quarter, Adrian Hilburn of the Wildcats scored a touchdown to bring the score to 36-34. Hilburn saluted the crowd - in 'Mile High Salute' fashion - and was called for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. It turned a 3-yard two-point attempt into a 18-yard attempt. Take a look for yourself
I'm sorry. I get the NCCA's desire for sportsmanship, but to call a penalty for saluting the crowd after a huge touchdown is just plain wrong. I get the rule. But there is also something called the 'spirit of the rule'. The rules are made to stop more and more elaborate touchdown celebrations. This cleary was not over the top and was not rubbing it in towards Syracuse. Football is a game of emotion, especially in college with school pride on the line. The NCAA, who makes millions off these 'amateur athletes' continues it's hypocritical totalitarian rule over college football by trying to turn these world-class athletes into robots.
Maybe one day when the grouchy old men who never played the game are gone, and real thinkers that get what football - and the spirit of competition - is all about college football will stop worrying about celebration penalties and get to the business of fixing the incredible number of things wrong with it's game.