During class, we
discussed the NFL - its rules, its penalty system, and its influence on kids.
The part that I found most interesting was the spillover effect it had on other
players in the NFL and of other ages. I especially found the question that Mr. Bolos
posed on his blog post interesting. He asked: "Finally, I guess I wonder
what you think about the impact of football on young people who play the game
and how the NFL doe(s) or does not influence the kids playing at the high
school level, for example."
To answer his question, I think that
the NFL has a large impact on high-school football. This is especially apparent
in two examples that I can remember. Cam Newton, the starting quarterback for
the Carolina Panthers, does a touchdown celebration where he acts as if he rips
off the shirt from his chest. He does this every time he scores a touchdown,
and never gets in trouble for it. However, Jalan McClendon, a high-school
quarterback, did the same exact celebration during one of his games, because of
how much he looked up to Newton. The celebrations were the same, but the
consequences were not. McClendon got ejected from that game because the high
school thought it was disrespectful.
Similarly, a well-known football
star is Tim Tebow. He also has a coined touchdown celebration called “Tebow-ing” where
he kneels over and looks like he is praying. Many young kids, and even adults,
mimic this by tebow-ing at any time they deem necessary. Some high-school
students at Riverhead High School were suspended for a hallway tebowing
session.
Both examples indicate that actions
that NFL stars take are often copied by high-schoolers who look up to them. The
pattern indicates that the actions the pros take have no consequences, while
the kids often do get penalized. Why do you think this is true? Should pros be
more careful about their celebrations, or should they continue to do what they
do?
