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Hey NFL players: If you want a safe way to celebrate touchdowns and big plays, just hug it out.Dont twerk. Dont pretend to shoot a bow and arrow. Dont even think about playing basketball with a football. And, never take your helmet off.Hugs are always legal, Dean Blandino, the NFLs senior vice president for officiating, said in an explanatory video earlier this month.Not a hugger? No problem. You have options.This may seem crazy, but you can always just hand the ball to an official, Blandino also said in the video sent to news media and teams.The leagues crackdown on celebrations has resulted in more unsportsmanlike penalties. There have been 22 taunting penalties through Week 7, up from 13 at this point in 2015 and double the total after seven games in 2014.The rule hasnt changed in terms of what is and what isnt taunting, Blandino said, adding referees were advised to make it a point-of-emphasis call. Fouls go up initially, and then as the players start to regulate their behavior and they understand where the bar is, we start to see the foul numbers go down.But many players and fans dont understand why the league cares so much about celebrations. Theyre quick to call it the No Fun League.San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Torrey Smith criticized the league last week in a series of tweets after former Giants kicker Josh Brown was placed on Commissioner Roger Goodells exempt list because police documents revealed Brown admitted to repeatedly abusing his former wife while they were married.Celebrating a TD will get you fined but being an abuser can keep the checks coming in, Smith wrote on Twitter. Gotta start taking the things that are important serious....and be consistent with the investigation and punishment.In his video, Blandino said: Were not trying to legislate emotion out of the game. Sportsmanship and player safety are the two top priorities in the game today.No doubt, Billy White Shoes Johnsons dancing, the Ickey Shuffle, the high-fiving Fun Bunch and Mark Gastineaus sack dance wouldnt be tolerated. Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson wouldve been ejected for their creative celebrations.We talk about, we want to grow the business of the NFL and revenues, Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall said. We see growth from 10 billion to 20 billion (dollars) by the end of 2022. We need more of that. We need guys to come out of the box. We need Antonio Brown twerking in the end zone. Kids shouldnt be fined for that. Guys should go out there and wear colorful cleats. Thats our culture right now. This is this new era, this hip-hop and lifestyle era. We need to embrace that. You cant just put guys in a box.Blandino explained that Brown was penalized for twerking because it was sexually suggestive and sends the wrong message to youngsters watching the sport.We dont want that out on the youth football field, Blandino said. Thats not the image we want to portray.Dancing is fine -- for the most part.Victor Cruz is known for doing the salsa after he scores, but Odell Beckham Jr. drew a penalty for dropping to his knee and taking a pretend photo of his teammate.The salsa was fine but taking a Polaroid was choreographed, Blandino said. If we let this go, players will try to outdo each other and it will lead to other things like players stomping on logos and players hitting players who stomp on logos, so we have to continue to maintain the standard of sportsmanship and professionalism that the NFL stands for.Saints wideout Brandin Cooks tweaked his Bible-themed TD celebration after Redskins cornerback Josh Norman was fined for mimicking a bow-and-arrow shot following an interception.Inspired by Psalm 144:6 -- Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy; shoot your arrows and rout them -- Cooks used to celebrate TDs in a similar way by shooting an imaginary bow and arrow. Now, he pretends to pull the arrow from his back but doesnt follow through with the shooting motion, kneels down and raises both arms toward heaven .What its essentially for is God, thanking him and being able to glorify him in a different way than just crossing my chest, Cooks said.Cooks was never fined for his celebration, but stopped it after Normans fine because he didnt want to risk a penalty. Smart move because Blandino said players will be penalized for anything that mimics a violent act or weaponry whether its directed at an opponent or not.Norman was exasperated after teammate Vernon Davis drew a penalty for shooting a jumper with the football over a goal post following a TD. Using the ball as a prop is illegal. The 15-yard penalty assessed on the kickoff led to a shorter kick that was returned 86 yards for a score by Philadelphias Wendell Smallwood.When is enough, enough? Fans want to see excitement, Norman said. They work their tails off during the week. They go to work 9-5 and they get a day off on Sundays to come out here and watch their team put on a show. We are entertainers, whether you like it or not.We want to have fun with the game, but its like, `Come on, man! Whos in the office calling these calls? Who is making this stuff? Its ridiculous. If they want to say Im outspoken about it, so be it, because this is what we do, man. Gladiators in the sport back in the day, they celebrated, they had their time, so why cant we have ours? Its just, I dont understand it. I really dont.Norman later suggested he would pretend to tap a beer keg as a future celebration to mock the leagues hypocrisy for their beer sponsorship.He has a point, Cooks said.Beckham is a frequent offender, though his marriage proposal to the kicking net on the sideline two weeks ago was within the rules. Beckham was flagged and later fined for taking off his helmet after exiting the end zone while celebrating his winning 66-yard touchdown before he approached the net.They fine me for smiling, Beckham said.Not quite, but almost.---AP Pro Football Writers Howard Fendrich, Arnie Stapleton and Teresa M. Walker and AP Sports Writers Brett Martel, Dennis Waszak Jr., Steven Wine and John Wawrow contributed to this report.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP-RobMaaddi Joe Dumars Jersey . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Custom Detroit Pistons Jerseys .Y. -- Marcell Dareus and the Buffalo Bills defence made life miserable for Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco. https://www.cheappistonsonline.com/1176y-tracy-mcgrady-jersey-pistons.html .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Jersey . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Louis King Jersey . -- Arizona knocked off some quality opponents, rolled over a few overmatched ones and grinded out victories even when things didnt go so well. BARCELONA, Spain -- Barcelona says Lionel Messi will be out for three weeks with a groin strain in his right leg.The Argentina star walked off in the 58th minute of the Spanish league match against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou that ended 1-1.Messi asked to be substitute moments after a sprint while challenging for the ball with Diego Godin. He appeared to grimace while touching his right thigh.Arda Turan replaced him after a hasty warm-up.Barcelona was leading the match 1-0. Atletico leveled moments after Messi left.ddddddddddddBarcelonas next match is at Sporting Gijon on Saturday. It then plays Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Champions League next Wednesday.If Messi recovers within the three-week time frame given by the team, he will be back in time for Barcelonas highly-anticipated match against Manchester City in the Champions League on Oct. 19. ' ' '