Calgary Stampeders running back Jon Cornish, after scoring his fourth touchdown in the recent Stampeders-Roughriders game (which the Stamps won, to the distress of watermelon-wearing Saskatchewan fans), handed the ball to a Roughriders defensive back who had failed to prevent him crossing the goal line. This playful action resulted in a ten-yard penalty for Cornish's team.
What, a penalty for cheekiness? We can imagine the official scolding Cornish: "Did you see the tears welling up in that man's eyes? How could you be so insensitive? Ten yards, and don't let it happen again."
One might think this an isolated incident, but no--for some time, CFL officials have been penalizing players for actions which they deem disrespectful. Emmanuel Arceneaux, the BC Lions large-handed wide receiver, drew a fine from the league for pretending to play golf with the ball and an end zone pylon. League official: "Shame on you, Arceneaux! That was disrespectful to the football, the game of golf, and possibly Tiger Woods."
This reminds us of the Monty Python sketch in which gangsters were terrorizing their victims by using sarcasm. This may be what CFL officials fear--a reign of gridiron terror marked by high jinx in the end zone.
We can only hope that when the CFL Commissioner presents the Grey Cup this November at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, no one on the winning team makes a joke. They might take the Cup back.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment