Chad Johnson says he was asked about NFL celebration rule change
The NFL’s celebration rules were tightened up due in part to Chad Johnson, so naturally, he was asked about the idea of a change.
As the NFL relaxes its rules on celebrations heading into a new season, we are reminded of the antics of Chad Johnson during his prime with the Cincinnati Bengals. When it came to using props to celebrate touchdowns, from a fake Hall of Fame jacket to a pylon as a putter to a marriage proposal to a cheerleader, “Ocho Cinco” was virtually unrivaled. He was also a driving force for the recent incarnation of the “No Fun League”, as commissioner Roger Goodell tightened up celebration rules.
Johnson, appearing on the “B-More Opinionated” podcast with Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, said he was consulted by Goodell before the NFL’s celebration rule was changed.
"“Well, I didn’t puff a cigar, but I knew the rule change was coming,” Johnson told me during an in-depth interview on the latest “B-More Opinionated” podcast. “I had talked to Roger [Goodell] a couple of times at length, maybe two or three times, before the rule change came out. And he asked my advice on what he could do to be able to loosen the reins on the celebration rules, but at the same time maintain the respect and integrity of the game."
"“And I said, ‘It’s a fine line, and you have to find a way to find a balance between letting the players have fun and be themselves, without losing the integrity of the game as well.’ And honestly, I told him, ‘You only have to worry about who is celebrating and actually making the headlines, and that would be your top players who consistently score all the time.'”"
Next: 30 replacements for Roger Goodell
Johnson is something of an authority on the topic of celebrations. He can also offer a player’s perspective, which Goodell has generally seemed closed-minded towards. There’s a fine line between fun and going overboard with elaborate touchdown celebrations, but we’ll see NFL players toeing that line regularly going forward.