The Art of Handing the Ball to the Ref and the “What If” Scenarios
I have to admit, after watching last night’s game, or should I say 15 round boxing match, I am totally pumped up and the game was very entertaining. Heck, my heart is still pumping big time. Despite the loss, there are many positives I could focus on today but one thing I cannot get past is DeSean Jackson’s idiotic premature celebration.
To recap, Eagles QB Donovan McNabb threw a beauty of a strike, a dagger down the middle of the field into the hands of a streaking Jackson, headed towards the end zone for a touchdown. On the way to scoring, Jackson celebrated prematurely, by showboating with the ball trailing behind him and then letting go of the ball.
One thing I learned in the twenty plus years of watching “JoePa” ball of Penn State football is when you score a TD, you hand the ball to the ref and walk back to the sidelines. You hear frequently to “Act As If”. Act as if you have been to the end zone one hundred times before. Jackson, in only his second professional game did not “Act As If”.
Worse, let’s play the “What If” scenario. What if Dallas recovered the ball? In a wild shoot out on a Monday night, every offensive possession is important. The outcome of this game could have been decided on Jackson’s boneheaded play. Who knows, the outcome of the NFC East and maybe the entire NFL (ok, I am getting carried away here) could have been decided by this play.
Here’s another “What If” scenario: Thank goodness the play was ruled where the Eagles had possession of the ball at the Cowboys one-yard line. On the next play, a Brian Westbrook goal-line dive was the call. “What If”? What if Westbrook fumbled and it was returned for a Dallas defensive TD? What if Westbrook or another player got hurt on that next play? If you think I am going overboard with the “What If” scenarios, go ask Jevon Kearse about the “What If’s” when the Eagles gave up a lead and lost the season opener a couple of years ago to the New York Giants. The Eagles blew a lead, let the game go into OT, and then Kearse got hurt.
So in the end, maybe it was a good thing to happen to Jackson. Humans can do one of two things after a mistake: 1) Learn from it and make improvements upon that mistake or 2) let the mistake repeat. Earlier in the week, on 610 WIP All Sports Radio, they were asking callers to give DeSean Jackson a nickname. Hopefully he does not make mistakes like the one he made last night and earn himself the nickname “DeSean Jackass”. Hopefully he learns from his lesson, his teammates and coaches forgive him, and he forgives himself and takes on the challenge to help bring us Die Hard Eagles Fans a Super Bowl Championship.
With that said, “E-A-G-L-E-S!! EAGLES!!”
September 16th, 2008 at 9:18 am
I’d bet dollars to donuts that Jackson won’t make that mistake again in his entire career. Although, according to the commentators during the game, he made a similar mistake in high school. He just suffers from premature “excitement”…with experience, he’ll learn to control his “emotion.”
September 16th, 2008 at 9:31 am
And…according to a report on ESPN NFC East Blog this morning, Jackson has also done this in college:
“DeSean Jackson was only a few steps away from what would have been a 53-yard touchdown in the 2005 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. But with an Alamodome crowd of 30,305 roaring in anticipation and a national television audience watching on NBC, he figured the situation called for a little extra sizzle.
“I got a little carried away and I did something I shouldn’t have done,” said Jackson, who not only failed to score but was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when his swan dive from the 5-yard line came up 1-yard short.
Jackson more than atoned for his misguided stunt with seven catches for 141 yards and a 45-yard TD pass to teammate Ryan Perrilloux as the West all-stars dominated the East, 35-3, in the fifth annual U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
September 16th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
That game made me say one thing: Go Phillies.