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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Dan Lyons

Weak Preseason Unsportsmanlike Penalty Has NFL Fans Worried About What’s Coming

Browns defensive end Isaiah McGuire was hit with a controversial unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for his nose wipe celebration, recently banned by the NFL. | via NFL Network

Browns third-year defensive end Isaiah McGuire made a beautiful play during Saturday's preseason finale against the Rams, using a well-executed stunt to dart into the backfield and blow up a Jarquez Hunter run for a loss on third-and-6. As McGuire looks to carve out a bigger role on Cleveland's defense after recording 2.5 sacks a year ago, this was the type of play he'll put on his personal highlight reel.

And then he was hit with an abrupt unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the stop.

McGuire strutted up the field after the big stop, finishing his celebration with the "nose wipe," a move made popular in the league by Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb. The celebration was banned, along with other "violent gestures" by the NFL this offseason.

Of course, a nose wipe—which has been credited to rappers like Young Thug and Future before it made its way into the NFL—is a far cry from a throat slash or shooting gesture. And yet, NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent says that it carries "gang connotations," and is "disrespectful," leading to the ban. Enforcement is a point of emphasis for officials this year.

“It’s just where we are in society. Young men, they come from that era, that age, and they’ve grown up on social media. If anybody was to google ‘nose wipe,’ you’ll see the language that is used and where that’s being affiliated to. I think the players know better. I know they know better."

Cutting down on machine gun celebrations feels pretty reasonable. Penalizing a player 15 yards for a "nose wipe," which, even if there is a "connotation," is hard to argue as violent feels very different. Football fans are worried about what this could mean for the upcoming season, if these kinds of penalties are a real focus of officials.

A penalty in the preseason probably won't do much to diminish McGuire's strong lead up to Week 1, but fans aren't going to be happy if penalties like this wind up bogging down regular season games in a few weeks.


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Weak Preseason Unsportsmanlike Penalty Has NFL Fans Worried About What’s Coming.

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