There are many ways that a player can go wrong on the football field. Among the most egregious is the unforced error, particularly of the inopportune variety. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool found this out the hard way when he celebrated a first down during a two-minute drill during a game last season. He got an earful not only from his coaches and teammates, but also the fans, and couldn’t help but be a bit defensive about it afterward.
There is a natural instinct, of course, to celebrate a job well done, and players celebrating key plays is commonplace—and has been for a very long time—in competitive sports.