The NFL has done a tremendous job of sucking out every ounce of joy it possibly can from every possible facet of the game in every possible way. Whether that is the league's ridiculous position on sharing GIFs and video among fans and even among the teams themselves, its micromanagement of celebrations to the point of unintelligibility, its continued inclusion of the Cleveland Browns as a professional team, or its morally bankrupt treatment of players for decades, the NFL has become a huge bummer in so many ways.With the New York Giants trailing the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 Sunday afternoon, Odell Beckham Jr. scored a 66-yard touchdown on fourth-and-one, giving his team the lead with 1:24 left in the game. It was nuts, so he went nuts and got a penalty that could have changed the game because he took his helmet off and ran to the bench. If you're a Giants fan, you went from being super pumped up about the amazing play you just saw to either being pissed off at the player who just made you feel alive, or being annoyed at the stupidity of the rule that could potentially ruin that feeling. Either way, it was not fun for you, the fan.So, fuck the NFL and instead, check out the China Arena Football League, where referees laugh to each other about outrageous TD celebrations:Look at how much fun everyone had in that GIF. And no flags! And no one wanted to beat anyone up for being a showboat. It's just accepted. Look at this insanity:
Even if that was his home logo, there is no way that ever happens in the NFL without a penalty, a fine, and probably a fistfight. But in the CAFL, you can do just about anything, apparently, including a choreographed swordfight that ends in your own teammate getting run through:
As you can see from the video at the top of this post, the CAFL even actively promotes this on their YouTube channel with highlight videos of all the best celebrations, called "Groove of the Week." It's a weird idea, allowing fans to share and enjoy moments of joy from the game they like to watch, but it might just be crazy enough to work.
The NFL disables embedding on their YouTube videos.h/t Reddit
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