The NFL is taking a much more relaxed approach to celebration penalties this upcoming season, but there still seems to be some confusion over what will and what will not be allowed. New England Patriots wide receiver Brandin Cooks is among those who would like to get some clarification over one particular celebration: the bow and arrow.
The act of pulling out an imaginary arrow and shooting it in celebration of a big play has until now been penalized, as Cooks and Josh Norman know all too well.
The bow and arrow celebration has been seen in various sports in addition to football, like baseball and basketball too. No penalties are handed out in either of those sports, but will the NFL continue to throw a flag on this celebration while keeping the flags in the ref’s pocket for others?
“It’s for God, so if that’s threatening, then I think we’ve got a problem, but I’m going to be respectful,” Cooks said of his favorite bow-and-arrow celebration, according to WEEI. “If it’s a penalty, it’s a penalty. I’m not going to do anything to hurt the team.”
Cooks has said before that his celebration is more of a religious expression than the act of shooting off an arrow into the crowd or the sky. For Cooks, the hope will be that the NFL understands the context of his celebration and reacts to it the same way as other religious acts like taking a knee and praying after a big play.
The good news is there is plenty of time to hash out this new celebration policy and let players (and coaches and refs) have a better understanding of what will be worthy of a penalty flag and what will not. Of course, at some point in time, there will be a celebration that starts to become popular which seems to float in the gray area of the policy, so there will be more confusion to come.
