by Chris Humpherys

Created on: October 04, 2009   Last Updated: June 20, 2010

Congratulations! You just received that promotion you've been anticipating. You closed a huge sale, finished that lingering household project or lost the weight you've been trying for months to lose. It's time to celebrate. After all, who could hold back emotion after such an accomplishment? Wouldn't you immediately pat yourself on the back, phone a friend or rejoice with your family? After all, you deserve it.

Well, be thankful you don't play college football, for in that venue, showing any sort of emotion is clearly against the rules. Such a outburst costs you fifteen yards of field position and perhaps a shot at a national title. It might even grant your opponent a chance they otherwise would not have earned.

In the final ninety-nine seconds of Saturday's Georgia-LSU game, a day-long defensive struggle quickly turned into a score-fest. Those last fourteen points changed the game and the national football landscape, but not as much as one man's judgment of another man's joy.

With minutes to spare, down 12-7, quarterback Joe Cox led Georgia to an apparent victory when he fired a pass that AJ Green miraculously grabbed in mid-air over his defender. The reception sent a stadium full of Bulldogs into a frenzy. On the ensuing possession with seconds to spare, LSU's Charles Scott ran 33 yards, giving LSU the victory and silencing that rabid crowd. The only problem? Scott's game-winning touchdown might not have occurred if not for a little yellow flag.

Shortly after scoring their respective touchdowns, both Green and Scott were penalized fifteen yards for excessive celebration. The Scott penalty was more blatant, but considerably less costly. By the time Georgia got the ball back after the Scott penalty, too much time had expired. The Green penalty, however, occurring seconds beforehand, meant LSU was a Trindon Holliday runback away from field goal range and the victory. There wasn't a fan between the hedges who couldn't see that coming.

In recent years, college football officials have been cracking down on any form of emotion whatsoever. In the Georgia-LSU game, the penalties may have affected the outcome. This is no excuse. Coaches and players know the rule, which is in place to teach kids discipline, sportsmanship and honor I think.

When discussing the game with my buddy Croshere, he asked whether we're at the point where everyone's supposed to pull a Barry Sanders? And we had money on LSU! For those of you unfamiliar with Sanders' routine, after scoring each

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