Over the years much as been said about Athletes being role models.  It seems most times the journalistic concentration is on how the athletes behave on and off the playing surface. I might suggest a study of the egocentric manifestations by the lemmings determined to mimic their sports idols. Where did it all begin? Why? 

My recollection of overt player celebration began with the first true, albeit justified poser, Reggie Jackson.  His historic 3 consecutive first pitch home runs off three different Los Angeles Dodger pitchers in the deciding game six of the1977 World Series has been matched by only one other player.  Can you guess whom?  That's right, Babe Ruth is the only other person to hit three homers in a Series game. (The Babe did it twice and not even he did it on just three pitches.) Who doesn't remember Jackson's dramatic pause at the plate as his third shot cleared the fence?  No matter how you slice it, Jackson's feat is one most everyone would allow some measure of preening over. 

And there lay the rub. At what point did the celebration of genuine accomplishment give way to the histrionics seen on even the most mundane plays in today's games? You can't single out just baseball; it's a tattered thread weaved through practically every sport.  Whether it's a dinger, a dunk, a sack or a sandy, there's an arm pump or dance or gyration that comes along.  Each event in their respective sport is certainly considered a "good" play.  But are they ones deserving of the "fish out of water" flopping around? I dare say no. 

And it goes further than just the manic celebrations.  It seeps into the way the general public now plays the games.  The worst of it can be found in golf. I cannot express in civil words the frustration professional golfers have foisted on the public by way of their incessant, and mostly unnecessary, hyper-examination of every shot and putt. 

Every public links golfer has experienced the torment of being behind a 28-handicap hacker taking 10 minutes to examine a 240-yard shot from the fairway. He's tossing grass in the air and making gestures to others in the group, just like the pros do.  Then when all is said and done, he chili-dips the ball 4 yards.  Making matters worse, the same hacker will circle the green a dozen times attempting to "read" the putt and then blow it five feet past the cup, requiring another dose of "green reading".

The NFL is attempting to bring a modicum of decorum back to the game by limiting celebrations in the end zone.  As for the effect professionals have on the amateur sport playing public, I can only ask the them to get serious, because the dim-wits imitating them out here plague the rest of us on a daily basis.