Celebrations at the end zone sparked some words on the sidelines during Friday’s Saints game.

Jimmy Graham has been in the headlines quite a bit as the NFL season is starting up.

Before the pre-season kicked off he was in talks with his team to secure the higher paying wide receiver position.

Still a tight end, Graham has come to a four-year $40 million agreement with New Orleans’ team.

Friday, he vented a little steam concerning the NFL’s new rule against celebratory touchdown dunks over the goal posts.

I can see why he’s a bit perturbed at the new rule. To me, it wasn’t a big deal when one of his dunks last season caused a regular season game to be postponed so the uprights could be righted after his dunk knocked it askew.

Each and every player in the NFL likes to be able to celebrate after a scoring play. 

But as the years go by more and more rules are enacted by the league to penalize them.

Athletes, like everyone, enjoy the plays that go well, and on the flip side express emotion when they mess up.

For the NFL to impose another rule that further restricts the ability of players to celebrate a scoring play takes some of the entertainment value out of the game.

Fans get worked up when players come up with a unique way to revel in their success. 

And Graham’s idea to combine his basketball past with his current football career made the league and its fans take notice.

For a time even quarterback Drew Brees got in on the action, slam dunking his own ball when he ran in for a touchdown.

The NFL needs to come up with a compromise that will foster unique celebrations, or face alienating its fans by creating a bland league.