Are College Football Rules Going Too Far?

Rules are put in place to protect the players and the sanctity of the game. However, there comes a point where rule making can go too far, into the realm of ridiculous and over the top.

The excessive celebration rule, something that referees are cracking down on in college football is my biggest gripe. These are 18- to 22-year-old kids being told they can't have fun playing the game they love.

It would be one thing if the players were paid and thus were expected to uphold a certain professional conduct, but they aren't.

Brawls like the one between Miami and Florida International shouldn't happen, and referees have the unenviable task of preventing them from occurring.

However, in truth, nothing more than a little pushing and shoving really occurs in a major football game. It's supposed to be competitive and not some hand-holding lovefest.

Also, when Georgia charges the field after they score against Florida in their annual rivalry, probably not a good idea. It's one score and even if it is a rivalry, that's what starts brawls like the UM-FIU one.

My big thing is that during the recent UW-BYU game, there was just a horrendous call of excessive celebration on Jake Locker that still has me scratching my head.

In a back and forth shoot out, BYU scores with three and a half minutes remaining to go up 28-21. Locker, knowing what he needs to do, drives the team down to the 3-yard line and with two seconds remaining scores to make the game 28-27.

Now, he does what every 20-year-old young man would do, especially considering Washington rarely EVER puts together late drives in the 4th quarter to save a game, he throws the ball in the air and celebrates with his teammates.

Somehow this is considered excessive celebration and the extra point attempt is now a 35-yard field goal. Yes, Ryan Perkins should have made this, I understand that is what all of you will gripe to me about, but that's missing the point of what I'm trying to say.

It was still our game to lose, no matter what happened, but I still feel that the rules in place for excessive celebration have gone too far.

Players should be able to celebrate their accomplishments, not sit on their hands waiting for someone to tell them its ok to smile.

Just my two cents.