{"id":86427,"date":"2020-10-10T18:27:55","date_gmt":"2020-10-10T15:27:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-nfl-stupidity-that-wont-go-away\/"},"modified":"2020-10-10T18:27:55","modified_gmt":"2020-10-10T15:27:55","slug":"the-nfl-stupidity-that-wont-go-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-nfl-stupidity-that-wont-go-away\/","title":{"rendered":"#The NFL stupidity that won’t go away"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#The NFL stupidity that won’t go away<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n Fifty years ago, the kind of play that logically should have happ<\/a>ened only once began to occur with regularity.<\/p>\n

It happened on ABC\u2019s \u201cMonday Night Football,\u201d Steelers at Chiefs on Oct. 18, 1971, thus a national prime-time audience helped create a national sensation. Steelers receiver Dave Smith caught a pass from Terry Bradshaw and was on his way, alone, to the end zone when he needlessly, carelessly, mindlessly raised the ball in his left hand.<\/p>\n

The ball fell from his hand and rolled through the end zone for a touchback. Pittsburgh lost, 38-16. Career infamy for Smith, who passed this past May.<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s foolishness stood \u2014 and stood out \u2014 alone for a while, but has since been joined by scores of similar episodes on every level \u2014 Pop Warner, high school, college and professional. What existed as an anomaly is now a persistent occurrence.<\/p>\n

In fact, again on \u201cMonday Night Football,\u201d Eagles WR DeSean Jackson, against Dallas in 2008, sacrificed his first NFL TD to a cool and casual, check-me-out ball flip \u2014 only he had not yet crossed the goal line.<\/p>\n

Two weeks ago, Seattle WR DK Metcalf caught a long pass then slowed to hold the ball with one hand in preparation of a self-celebration as he scored. However, from his blindside, surprise! The ball was swatted away for a touchback.<\/p>\n