Best New Scoring Celebrations

Scoring celebrations are a frequent occurrence in sports, and hats off to those athletes who attempt to continually make theirs more original.  

We’ve all seen the standard celebrations—fist pumping, ball spiking, getting mobbed by teammates at home plate. But what have you done for me lately? What’s new and fresh in the scoring celebration scene?

Even the fines in the NFL can’t stop some athletes from sharing their joy. Some even share their joy by pretending a football is a baby, but hey, to each his own.

We’ve seen a lot of preplanned touchdown celebrations in the young 2014 NFL season already, but great moments can also be pulled from the World Cup—and even some hockey if you’re looking closely.

Game-winning celebrations, like Mercer’s NaeNae dance, are awesome, but right now, we’re going to focus on the hype that comes from a single score as opposed to a game victory. Shirtless celebrities and fake pregnancies, choreographed dances and simple, yet pure jubilation—we’ve got it all. Let’s do this. 

Dishonorable Mention: Stephen Tulloch

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An ACL tear is not a good way to celebrate a score (or a sack, in this case).

Stephen Tulloch of the Detroit Lions sacked Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers during a recent game and celebrated with the quarterback’s patented “Discount Double Check” move.

Apparently he hasn’t mastered it, because something he did resulted in a season-ending injury.

Ouch.

Pregnant with Soccer Ball

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The 2014 FIFA World Cup provided the scene for some ultra-creative goal celebrations, as international soccer tournaments often do.

One such celebration comes to us courtesy of Costa Rica’s Joel Campbell.

Campbell scored in his team’s group play match against Uruguay to tie the game at one. But his celebration was far more memorable than his goal—he placed the ball under his shirt to feign pregnancy and sucked his thumb.

Yeah, that’s new.

Ode to LeBron James

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Terrance West of the Cleveland Browns didn’t come up with a new scoring celebration, but he did give an old one a new purpose.

West performed a celebration made famous by LeBron James after his one-yard touchdown run against the Baltimore Ravens.

Kyle Juszczyk of the Ravens returned the favor later in the same game, mimicking James’ habit of throwing white powder into the air after catching a second-quarter TD pass.

Mike Trout Walk-Off

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This celebration is unique mainly for the sheer jubilation.

Mike Trout’s first career walk-off home run was a memorable one.

Trout crushed a three-run homer in May to give his team a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. He did the standard helmet toss and got mobbed by his teammates at home plate, all with the joyful demeanor of a little kid. But, courtesy of the above photo, we can see that Trout took some time to celebrate with the fans as well.

Pretend Putt

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So the new thing in sports celebrations might be pretending to play another sport?

Following a one-yard touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Brian Hartline practiced his imaginary putting skills. Not one of the more hyped-up celebrations to be sure, but he still showed effort.

It was probably not worth the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, though.

Kiss the Grass

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Many race car drivers have done it at the Brickyard, and now Algeria’s soccer team has done it at the World Cup.

Kissing the ground is a way to celebrate a score—and perhaps thank the field or show respect?

Following a goal in their group play match against Belgium, several Algerians knelt down and kissed the grass as a more subdued, but still appropriate, way to celebrate.

Rockabye Baby

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It seems that more subdued celebrations are becoming a theme. After all, pretending to rock a baby to sleep after scoring a touchdown isn’t exactly raucous.

But somehow, Jed Collins of the Detroit Lions pulled it off in a game against the Carolina Panthers.

What is he trying to say here? The football is his baby? He loves the football? He wants to sing the football a lullabye?

Who knows, but the celebration sure was a new one.

Colombian Dance Party

Speaking of great goal celebrations from the World Cup, Colombia’s team dance was pretty awesome.

After a fifth-minute goal against Greece, the Colombian players launched into a preplanned dance routine that is impossible to not smile at.

Cuba Gooding Jr. Scores

Cuba Gooding Jr. certainly can’t be credited with inventing the celebration-by-shirt-removal move. However, this might be the first time a celebrity participating in a promotional competition has pulled it.

Gooding was on hand at a Chicago Blackhawks exhibition game, during the course of which he played a game called “Shoot the Puck” (clever).

After he scored, Gooding brought a little of that Rod Tidwell drama to his celebration, theatrically stripping off his shirt.

DeSean Jackson Mocks Eagles

Given the confusing decision by some Philadelphia Eagles fans to burn DeSean Jackson’s jersey (despite the fact that the team chose to release him), his touchdown celebration after scoring against them was fitting.

Following an 81-yard TD reception for his new team, the Washington Redskins, Jackson did the “Fly Eagles Fly” dance in the end zone, seemingly making fun of his former team.

His Redskins lost, but the TD mockery was still pretty good.

Hockey Head Slide

Ric Del Basso of the Australian Ice Hockey League celebrated a game-winning goal with a sliding headstand.

That’s right. Following the goal, Del Basso immediately flipped upside down and proceeded to glide across the ice on his helmet, skates dangling in the air.

He finished it off with a somersault dismount, which may or may not have been part of the original plan.

But pretty boss either way.

Basketball Bench

The football players (American football and soccer) are the usual suspects when it comes to inventive scoring celebrations. However, one group of basketball benchwarmers appears to be making a name for itself as well.

The Division III men’s basketball team at Colby College has a series of choreographed bench celebrations, and they are awesome.

Amateur Soccer Game

At first, the goal celebration by this amateur Italian soccer player looks pretty run-of-the-mill.

But just wait.

After scoring a relatively lackluster goal, the young gent runs excitedly to the sidelines to chants of “goal!” from his comrades.

Instead of leaping into the open arms of waiting teammates, he instead puts his head down and runs smack through the plastic wall of the team’s bench area.

Unique, awesome and also a bit dangerous. This guy lives on the edge.