Photo by Mifter

I have been catching up on my Sports Illustrated reading and I just came across Dan Patrick’s front page article from last week. For those who don’t read SI, Patrick does a short interview at the front of every issue and has a few short commentaries about sports news.

In last week’s issue he has a quick paragraph about Joba Chamberlain and his recent antics on the mound. Joba has been criticized for celebrating - maybe a little too much - in ordinary game situations. I know a lot of people have been criticizing him, but what gets me is that a few weeks earlier Patrick was celebrating Manny Ramirez for his antics. Essentially he said that Manny shouldn’t get criticized for “Manny being Manny” but we should celebrate him much like folks celebrate Favre and his boyhood enjoyment of the game.

So what’s the deal, a fiery celebration should be derided but silliness and a future hall of famer should be celebrated? We criticize modern day athletes for not caring and for it being all about the “benji’s” but when they show emotion we tell them to shut it down?

Everyone is going to do what they have to get up for games and for tough situations, if a guy needs to huff and puff what’s the issue? Don’t tell me it’s the sanctity of the game because I will fire back that any sanctity in pro sports is pretty much gone (except of course the hockey handshake!).

So what do you think - to celebrate or not - or does it matter. Leave a comment and take this quick FormSpring survey as well!