Two games, two losses and two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for excessive celebration following a touchdown for the Dallas Cowboys have gone a long way in cultivating a reputation for the team as being an undisciplined bunch, and why not? These have been pointless and potentially damning penalties.
In week five, the Cowboys kicking from their own 15 as a result of Marc Colombo falling down after chest-bumping Jason Witten in the end zone, Tennessee’s Marc Marinari returned the kick 73 yards to set up the Titans’ game-winning touchdown.
In week six, the Dallas defense was able to bail out the offense after Sam Hurd threw the “Hook ‘em horns” sign in the end zone along with Roy Williams, once again deemed a choreographed celebration involving two or more players, and once again responsible for Dallas kicking from their own 15--in retrospect, though, this fact is no great consolation.
Because the penalty, whether ultimately detrimental in itself, is indicative of a remarkably undisciplined football team. To cure this particular woe, head coach Wade Phillips said that, from now on, the team would adhere to college rules with respect to celebration--which of course, are much more strict than those of the NFL--and reserve celebration until after the game.
This may be a good idea, if not a week late.
"We're going to the college rule," Phillips said, per the Dallas Morning News. "Our celebration needs to be after the game when we've won a game."
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