Former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Joe Horn set bar eight years ago: pulling out a cell phone from the goalpost to celebrate at Superdome touchdown. Current Saints tailback Pierre Thomas continued the “I really think is a football movie, and not the actual NFL” type TD celebration with a holiday-themed maneuver on Monday Night Football.
After punching it in from inside the five, the former Illini and Chicago southsider pulled out a Saints colored gold bow, and stuck it on the football before handing it to a lucky fan in the stands.
Thomas seemed to have some issues with the adhesive part of the bow; making the process take a bit longer than expected. He eventually figured it out, and with it created a cutesy yet original Christmas themed celebration. And at the same time, the act of benevolence inherit to the act makes it somewhat resistant to outside criticism.
But the referee whistled him for using the ball as a prop and tacitly delaying the game, and gave the Saints running back a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, assessed on the kickoff. Thomas may face a fine later. But it’s another chapter in a storied NFL rivalry. The Saints were playing the Atlanta Falcons, and fun things usually happen in this game (MC Hammer was on the sidelines for the 1991 Playoff meeting between the two teams)
Check out Thomas’ holiday gift-wrapping/giving in the video below.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net, an official Google News site that generates millions of unique visitors. He’s also a regular contributor to Chicago Now, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker, and Fox Sports
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