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Tuesday's League Meeting Notebook Committee advises banning on-field group celebrations
Posted: Tuesday March 28, 2000 11:42 PM
By Don Banks PALM BEACH, Fla. (CNNSI.com) -- In another move aimed at improving the level of on-field sportsmanship, the NFL's competition committee Tuesday recommended that orchestrated end zone celebrations by two or more players be banned and subject to fines. In the closing day of the NFL annual meeting on Wednesday, league owners will vote on the measure today, and also decide the fate of instant replay, which now seems almost assured of returning for another season. At least 24 of the 31 team votes -- a three-fourths majority -- is needed to pass both measures. "We don't want to come go back to the No-Fun-League," said Tampa Bay general manager Rich McKay, the committee's co-chairman. "We don't want to make it so a player can't celebrate." The anti-celebration measure would not affect the touchdown celebration of an individual player. The league was looking to crack down on the premeditated end zone dances, like St. Louis' celebrated Bob and Weave, involving several players. Teams will not be penalized for end zone celebrations that break the new rule, but the players involved will be subject to undisclosed fines. "We don't think there's anything wrong with showing enthusiasm for the game," said Vikings coach Dennis Green, the committee's other co-chairman. "But you don't want to do something that incites the other team." Asked what was wrong with the Bob and Weave, Green said: "When you're on the other side of the Bob and Weave, that's the problem with it." Green's Vikings were eliminated by the Rams in the playoffs, 49-37, in one of the highest scoring games in NFL postseason history. The committee also said players could be fined for any "sexually expressive" gesture made toward a game official. Last fall, the NFL banned the throat-slashing gesture that had become popular among some players. It was considered an example of taunting and made subject to fines. As expected, two other rule interpretations were clarified by the committee, both of which will be implemented without having to be voted on. The rule that stipulates a legal catch now allows the ball to touch the ground at some point as long as the player has secured control of the ball prior to contact with the ground, and control is maintained after the ball has touched the ground. Offsides on kickoffs will now be called if anything other than the ball is in front of the line of scrimmage as the play begins. Previously, a player's foot or feet had to be in front of the line of scrimmage to be considered offsides. Compensatory picks handed outThe league also announced Tuesday the awarding of 31 compensatory draft picks to a total of 14 teams. Compensatory picks are awarded to teams based on the value of their free-agency losses the previous season. The picks fall at the end of the fourth through seventh rounds of the draft. This year's picks raise the total number of selections in the April 15-16 NFL draft to 254. Four teams were tied with four compensatory picks each, Minnesota, Green Bay, Jacksonville and New England. Washington received three. Super Bowls up for grabsThe league's Super Bowl policy committee is in favor of Houston receiving the 2004 Super Bowl, with Miami and Atlanta bidding for the 2005 game, and Detroit in line for the 2006 host duties. No Super Bowl assignments are expected before the league's fall meeting in October. Tampa Bay, New Orleans and San Diego will play host to the next three Super Bowls. Both Houston, which will rejoin the league in 2002 as an expansion team, and Detroit will build their bids around new stadiums that are scheduled to open later this decade. A coast-to-coast callSeattle coach Mike Holmgren revealed Tuesday that he was briefly in the bidding for New York Jets receiver Keyshawn Johnson. Ever so briefly. Jets director of player personnel Dick Haley called Holmgren shortly after Johnson was put on the trading block, two weeks ago, asking him if Seattle had any interest. The Seahawks lost their top receiver, Joey Galloway, last month, when Dallas signed the Seattle franchise player to a seven-year, $42 million contract. "It was real preliminary," Holmgren said. "They said they had somebody available to trade. I go, "Who? What do you want for him?' And they basically said 'All your draft picks.' It didn't go anywhere." The Jets announced last week that Johnson was off the market for now and the team continues to insist that they won't renegotiate his contract with two years remaining on the deal. Johnson is seeking Galloway-type money. Will the playoff field grow in 2002?As part of efforts to realign into eight, four-team divisions in time for the 2002 season, the NFL will investigate whether to increase the size of its current 12-team playoff format. That discussion will begin in earnest next year, said Tampa Bay general manager Rich McKay, one of the co-chairmen on the league's competition committee. With four-team divisions and just four wild-card teams, McKay said, the league fears that a weak division could be won by a team with a losing record, while winning teams in stronger divisions would miss the post-season. Increasing the number of wild-card teams would lessen that possibility. The competition committee Tuesday discussed which new scheduling format to adopt before the league's self-imposed realignment deadline arrives on June 1, 2001. "We as a committee said next year one of the priorities to be discussed is should we recommend increasing the number of playoff teams," McKay said. "That doesn't mean it will happen. There's been a strong sense in the membership that we like the fact that it's very difficult to get into the playoffs. That will be a contested issue and it may not happen in the first year of realignment." Asked when he thought the league would arrive at its decision on realignment, McKay quipped: "Whatever's the last day possible. Do you expect it any earlier? Let's face facts. Look for it in 2002." Quote of the dayFrom Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell, to a pack of attentive sports writers: "Far be it from me to question journalism. I couldn't live without it. Although I'd like to try."
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