Kia Oro !

I was reminded of the '70's NFL icon Billie 'White Shoes' Johnson recently while reading a New York Times article by George Vecsey last Thursday. It concerned the New Zealand national rugby team being banned from performing a ritual pre game danse in Wales recently. Perhaps you have seen the danse on tv somewhere, because it has been show through the years. If you haven't, imagine : 73, 000 fans in the stadium, and on the field is 20 or so 250-300 lb blokes doing a Pacific Islander war danse - yells, grunts, and violent body movements designed originally to intimidate enemies before going to war (Do see the superlative film "Whale Rider" for a taste of the ritual. And yes, I know 'Whale Rider' is a 'chick flick' = see it anyway. Vecsey suggests that many of the 73, 000 in Wales were there in some part to take in the pre-game ritual as well as the match. And it is spectacular, even to this essentially non- rugby following sports fan.

Which brings me back to 'White Shoes'. Again, if you are of the age to remember him, he was a wide receiver who specialized in returning kicks- and he was good (think Devin Hester). @ the end of any successful touch down return, he'd celebrate by doing his rubber legs danse. It was so arresting, so bizzare, and so different from anything around @ the time, it was just great to watch. Now, I can't remember if he ever scored against Da Bears (i'm sure he didn't, @ least on a return), and I'm sure I hated him @ the time if he did, but anytime he scored it was a time of joy for my frenz and I : "Did you see it? What a return !! Did you see the celebration ?". Playing street football in Marquette Park, any kick return we did wouldn't be complete without a 'White Shoes' danse.

Now-a-days, of course, we have all sorts of rules against this. One of my favourite sporting memories of growing up, that once a season explosion from 'White Shoes', would , I'm sure, be verboten in todays game. Other celebrations, such as T. Owens 'Sharpie' incident and the 'Fun Bunch' from the 80's Redskins, are all not allowed. And what about Mark Gastineau's 'sack danse' ? I know I'm probably in the minority, but I just think these celebrations are fantastic. Soccer, for example, has a great tradition of celebrations that has largely not been legislated against, and to watching the celebrations can be as fun as watching the goal.

I think that we really should embrace these celebrations as a part of what makes sports fun. I'm not advocating any sort of direct taunting: these displays can be deeply nauseating. And the celebrations must not take up a large amount of time. But let the fun roll. It is a game. As long as the two strictures above are adhered to, let it go. Joy in humans is something we should celebrate, not legislate.