Question Number: 17099

Other 10/5/2007

RE: Select to Pro Other

franco of Bloomington, USA asks...

This question is a follow up to question 17047

I personally look at celebrations and ask 3 questions:

1. Does it delay the game?
2. Does the celebration OBVIOUSLY incite the other team or fans or is directed toward them?
3. Is it distasteful, offensive, crude, or making fun or crticizing any group or person?

If the answer is NO to all above then its just fun and no ecessive celebration. I do not find the shoe shining thing other than having fun and saying his boots are something magical, mystical and special for scoring so many goals. Just having fun and its been around a long time in soccer around the globe. To say it is somehow insulting a group of people or race is really stretching it. If it does-tooo sensitive, maybe it paying tribute to shoe shiners?

That's another whining situation of sports in the USA, that somehow emotion and celebration is unsportsmanlike. Its usually the the team and fans that allowed the goal that are complaining, so I think its more of sour grapes and thats what wine comes from.

I heard Ms Foudy complaining how the Brazilians celebrated this year after beating the USA and how they remembered Norway celebrating after they beat their team years ago. The Brazilians celebrated beating us because they viewed beating the US as a milestone in women soccer for their country. They admitted they were intimidated by playing US, I see that as an honor. I say, to the victor goes the spoils. If someone beats me, personally I prefer they do celebrate rather than act like it was no big deal. I have to be man enough and a sportsman to understand. There is a difference between celebration and mocking or touting.

One of the beauties of Ronaldinho is his love for the game, his smiling and celebrating and his cradling gesture he makes. I love the little dances Brazilians make after a game and I love how their fans truly celebrate. I even enjoy the enthusiasm of Mardonna on the hand-of-God goal. I love the airplane, toungue out gesture of Henrik Larson. I love the flips, the slides, the pile ons, the shirt over the head when players do something good. I love the explosion of emotion when the USA womens player pulled her shirt off, it was innocent. I hate the stiff attitude, "act like you been there before" or "don't act like its your first goal". How about cherrish every moment and act like every goal is an accomplishment of hard work, a gift from God, and who knows if I will ever cross this road again. Playing the game is special so act like it.

Come on, stop being so sensitive. Its amazing that we live in a world where we preach diversity, but the more we preach about accepting peoples differences the more sensitive and unforgiving we seem to become. I have been criticed for admiring the individual play or the team play of a team we are playing against. Many view that as being a traitor and thats the attitude why people hate any celebration and want the ref to call something because they can't accept the fact they got scored on. Its a game of fun.
Franco

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I agree with you, Franco, that celebrations that do not waste time and are of the "hooray for me" variety are OK. When they are the "ha-ha on you" style, we need to put a stop to it quickly. Things also deteriorate when the 8th goal is greeted with the same or greater celebration as the 1st, and the other team has been unable to score.

Certainly the underdog beating the favored team is a cause for great celebration. I'm not sure the Brazil-US WWC game can exactly be compared to the Miracle On Ice game when US Hockey beat the Soviets in the Olympics.

Of course you know that FIFA has prohibited removing the jersey or pulling it up over the face. Too often there was a disparaging message on the shirt under the jersey. Also getting the shirt back on could delay the restart.

Answer provided by Referee Richard Dawson

There will be the puritans, fantatics, moderates, the I do not care crowd, doing my best to define the black and white, the technical by the book and those of us who are simple there to enjoy a game.

Be it soccer or life we are offered choice at countless opportuities. The great thing about free will and faith is you do not have to impress anyone, you answer to your conscience. Opinions are perception of events as seen by the individual. The grip on reality that individual has reflects all experiances and choices carried forward until that point.

I do not preach faith but if you live it in the heart, when you make a simple yes or no decision, it comes with no strings attached!

Cheers and peace be with you