The "Celebration"

I'm old school and don't believe in the sack dances , first down signals or touchdown dances that are creeping into college football. That being said, I liked the celebration.
Didn't seemed to be taunting Warner at all.

Hopefully, we can do something similar when we beat some of the Socon teams next season.

Don't care for it. It is exactly the type of thing that the league officials will take away any benefit of doubt in the future, and we've already had a full season's worth of penalties from playing past the edge with personal fouls and the like. The last thing we need is more of a reason for the league officials to pull the yellow flags. They probably miss Appalachian State who was notorious for doing somersaults and flips into the endzone after TD's, or dunking the ball over the goalposts.

I subscribe to the"act like you've been there before" approach, which admittedly doesn't apply here, but ultimately it isn't casting us in the best light.

You people are crazy.  This is glorious!

You're right and so is BearDownMU. How can that be? Old School vs. New School, I think.

The guy I played for in college would have probably taken away my scholarship for participating in this and he was a great Coach who I revere....didn't always see eye-to-eye, but that's because I was an 18-22 year old immature idiot at the time. Now, I'm a mature idiot and know that he was right, back then, 100% of the time when we didn't agree.

On the other hand, Oregon and Maryland's uniforms are a bit too much. 900 football games on TV every week are a bit too much. Pink-outs for Breast Cancer Awareness are a bit too much (not the cause, of course, but the outlandish extent kids go to PINK UP). That people will pay $$$$$ for a kid's football jersey is a bit too much. It's everywhere we look. I understand this is different because of the penalty and perceived sportsmanship aspect, but The Citadel and other Academy teams have had to get special waivers to wear certain uniforms so they don't get penalized and the penalty-drawing aspect of the uniforms was, I believe, in all cases, patriotic and/or noble. On the sportsmanship 'thing,' that has changed too and it's in every sport - think of flopping in hoops & soccer (and Mercer @ Chattanooga Football, frankly) and all of the unwritten rules in baseball that are frequently 'broken.' Some football people think it's unsportsmanlike to execute a perfectly legal cut block. Who's right on that issue? Since this happened I have seen the GB Packers have a choreographed celebration on a punt return TD and a Colts OLman do something resembling a RhinoNaeNae upon scoring a TD. It's the world of sports we live in today....you and I and my college Coach may not like it....but 79,000 people on Instagram sure do.

Recruiting, Corporate Marketing/Sponsorships, and Ticket Sales get a BIG W from this stuff. Sportsmanship prolly takes an L.

To your point, while I do not think animus was directly intended, there is a level of disrespect that comes with these celebrations. This is just my opinion, but the mere fact someone is goofing off while on the field conveys a level of disrespect to your opponent. Almost as if to say "this is so easy, we are making a joke out of it."

During my athletic career I was always coached that when you step over the line you are all business. Does not matter the opponent or the score. Your opponent as well as the game deserve respect.

I'm not "offended."  If Mercer wants to set up a goofy touchdown celebration against a team they are clubbing, fine.  Their call.

I see the celebration after the win against Duke as a wholly different thing.  That was pure elation after a game against a national powerhouse.  That game accomplished something.  This stuff on Saturday was just goofing off against a team that was little competition to Mercer.  Again, that's my opinion.

As for fun, here is the Furman football team last year doing the "Nae Nae" six months before Mercer fans discovered the dance, with the student section, after winning a championship against their rival, Wofford.  That was fun.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSU6M9_4nO8).

Just for 'the record' - you know me, I always want that 'record' to be accurate!....This TD was in the 2nd quarter and the score was 21-0 prior to the TD. Yes, it appeared that Mercer was clearly the better team, but Mercer recently came back from 21 down to within fingertips of tying a game against the SoCon Champions (who most SoCon fans, including you, would say is clearly the better team, right?)...so I'm not sure your characterization of "a team they are clubbing" is 100% 'fair' without the benefit of hindsight.

Also, after scoring 2 more TD's in the 1st half, to make the score 42-0, I believe Mercer offered to play 10 minute quarters in the 2nd half instead of 15 minute quarters. And I believe Warner accepted that offer because they did shorten the 2nd half by 1/3rd. I've never seen that done before, but it does make more football-sense than a running clock mercy rule (as is used at other levels) because it allow both teams to play the 'normal' flow of the game, enabling them to 'get reps' AND accomplishes the same intent as the running clock. Mercer's starters did play the 1st series of the 2nd half and then 'checked out' for the rest of the day.

I would think if Mercer's intent was to humiliate the opponent and/or to pad stats (which might have made some sense as they have 2 Finalists, Alex Lakes & Chandler Curtis, in the running for the Jerry Rice Award - Best FR in FCS), then they would not have offered the shortened game and would have left the starters in much longer.



Also - As a former Offensive Lineman, I take personal offense at you calling the celebration "goofy!" I saw nothing but amazing young athletes demonstrating their agility, versatility, and grace. From the snap of the ball to the final flourish of the cartwheel, I felt as if I were watching the beauty of the Olympians of Ancient Greece!