If anything, Tyreek Hill deserved a bonus from the NFL for his touchdown celebration just before halftime of the Miami Dolphins’ Week 6 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
According to Hill’s job description, all that he is required to do in order to help the NFL’s efforts in Europe is to bring his explosive athleticism to Germany on Nov. 5, and participate in any NFL activities with the fans that week if he is healthy. Hill decided to go above and beyond and produce some content for the NFL UK Twitter account a few weeks early. After scoring to put the Dolphins up 21-14, Hill grabbed a smartphone from a fan who was recording his touchdown, and took a selfie video of him doing a backflip.
He was penalized for taunting, but shortly after the flag was tossed, the video went live on NFL UK social media. It did not stay up for long, though, because for all of the NFL’s inconsistencies and hypocrisies, this was an easy one to avoid. Even though it was outstanding social media content, it had to go. Profiting off of Hill’s eventual fine is a bad look.
NFL, how about forgetting the Toy Story gimmicks and CGI slime, and reaching potential young NFL fans where there are — selfie land. Young people who are not glued to RedZone all day might be more willing to interact with a made-for-TikTok video of Hill’s celebration. But no, the league is still too stuffy. Hill technically used a prop, but it’s not like he pulled a Joe Horn and left the phone in a strategic spot. Hill took the opportunity to create some great content.
He should get a thumbs-up emoji sent to him from Commissioner Roger Goodell, but instead, there will likely be a letter sent to his home requesting payment.
