Brent Celek's "Captain" Pose Was Part of "Guerrilla-Style Advertising Campaign"

Brent Celek's touchdown celebration in which he demonstrated he does in fact have a little Captain in him was received with mixed feelings. Personally, I thought nothing of it. If you score a TD for the Eagles, you can do anything you want for all I care as long as it doesn't cost your fifteen yards (which Celek's celebration actually did thanks to Jason Avant). As it turns out, Celek's Captain pose wasn't just a spur of the moment celebration but rather part of a larger "guerrilla-style advertising campaign" being put on by the rum maker.

Yahoo!'s Charles Robinson writes:

As far as anyone knows, it’s the first time we’ve seen that type of guerilla-style [sic] advertising campaign in an NFL end zone. And if the league has its way, it will be the last, too. The “Captain Morgan” was effectively banned this week after the league learned of a wider campaign meant to get players to repeatedly strike the pose during NFL games.

...

Celek’s pose actually resulted in a 15-yard penalty for demonstration, which was incurred when teammate Jason Avant tried to help him achieve the perfect Captain Morgan form. Afterward, Celek spoke through an Eagles spokesman and denied any knowledge of a Captain Morgan campaign. But an account executive handling the promotion told Yahoo! Sports the Eagles tight end was indeed involved.

Emphasis mine.

The campaign was going to donate money to Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund every time an NFL player pulled off the pose. Once the NFL got wind of a company trying to pull a fast one on them they quickly put the kibosh on it.

It's all a shame really. Captain Morgan is a fine gentleman and helping a good cause would have been nice for NFL players. I actually had the opportunity to play poker with the Captain himself last month in Las Vegas. I knocked him out of the tournament and won two bottles of 100 proof Captain Morgan rum. Fine fellow, that Captain.

Watch video of the play and pose here.

>>League shipwrecks Captain Morgan campaign [Yahoo!]

Comments

[Bob]

WTF was that penalty about anyway? That's one I really didn't understand

[shocksterman]

Avant=idiot

[AlexCuse]

The NFL irritates me to no end. But I guess they've got us all by the short hairs.

[Poster Nutbag]

i would be OK with it if captain morgan donated the proceeds to the fans who pay the money to support the teams and want to see their teams win and not get stupid 15 yard penalties.

[Steve]

It was a penalty because Avant helped him...once you get more than just one guy involved in the pre planned celebration its an automatic penalty

[timm]

@bob - when celek was doing the pose, avant came over and held his leg. the sissy refs considered that flag worthy for using another player in celebration.

[theKrisheim]

i wish i thought of this

[Phalange]

So Avant helping Celek pose is a penalty, but Miles Austin throwing the ball at the goalpost and taunting isn't?

[mike]

NFL=No Fun League. Goodell is miserable and his secret lover is eric mangini. I think TD poses....as long as theyre in good taste...are tremendous and make people laugh. look around you....not alot of people laughing these days huh? Ocho doesnt get in trouble with the law, donates his time and money to various charities....and also gets slammed with fines for every imaginable thing. Larry Johnson spits on people and im pretty sure his fine was around the same is an ocho chin strap fine. Doo doo.

[Zack]

The fines are absolutely ridiculous in the NFL. People get fined more for celebrations and for wearing the wrong color socks than for punching another player.

All of the sports in America are run by such assholes.

[Benjamin]

The league can't allow an alcohol company to advertise on the field in the middle of a game. They aren't getting any money out of it, and they can't openly ignore the promotion of alcohol during the game.

Meh

[Tyson]

the captain? if you are going to flaunt, at least have the dignity to make up your own move and not go with some contrived image from a crappy corporation. jeez, I thought more of celek before reading this.

[Jason R.]

how is that unsportsmanlike? and wtf is a "sportsman"?

[Pete D]

These guys were all over the parking lot Sunday afternoon/evening. Some jackass driving around in captain morgan hummer and a few mildly attractive females playing some beanbag game to win tshirts.

[RAD]

Basically it's the same penalty Wes Welker got for making a snow angel after a touchdown.........Who really cares......I think the touch down celebrations are fun no matter who the team. The one where the player had the phone hidden in the goal post was genious. The only penalty there should be on this stuff is a delay of game if it goes on for longer than a predefined time say 30 seconds...just to keep them from interfering with the game.

[Ryan H.]

I wanna see people to the Jose Cuervo. that's when you puke all over yourself , try to fight your teammates, and then pass out with no pants on.

[Bill]

Ryan H. for the win.

[bizurk]

@Ryan H.
+infinity

I think we all agree that the NFL fun police take entertainment out of the game with their draconian policy. At the same time, they need hard and fast rules that establish what is and what isn't allowed (to make it less subjective). For now, that rule is an orchestrated celebration is a flag. As soon as Avant touched Celek, it's a flag. The disastrous penalties this year have been largely overlooked, but they need to end as the season enters its final push.

I prefer the Westbrook: hand the ball back to the ref, a few fist pumps and hugs, then back to the sideline. But I wouldn't mind a little more leeway for the showier players.