the no-fun-league?

What about showing some class?

We all draw lines somewhere, some more extreme than others. In football, questionable behavior is often penalized, but I think that it is usually justified. There are rules and standards, after all. Whether calling personal fouls (important in preventing injuries) or unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, it's all designed to enforce a sense of decorum - yes, even in as emotional a sport as football. And so far, I can't say I really disagree with any of them.

Going over the line for me would be penalizing a player for simply being happy and smiling, spiking the ball after a score, outstretching one's arms, many things... but choreographed dances, staged theatrics, mimicking the slashing of one's throat... that kind of behavior goes too far. Why risk pushing people's buttons even further? The first time I noticed such behavior was when one team's players literally circled around a couple of members of the other team after scoring a touchdown and danced. This is when I first thought that such behavior had gone too far.

Now it's difficult to decide just which behaviors are to be allowed, and which ones to throw a flag for, but I can't blame the league for trying. And maybe certain people are just trying to sound cool, but I don't care for those that criticize the league for trying to implement rules of conduct, calling the NFL 'the no-fun-league.' Isn't the game itself enough to enjoy it? The great blocks, the stutter-step moves, the incredible athleticism? How did these critics manage to enjoy the game before all of these additional antics?