On Tuesday, May 23rd, the NFL made an announcement that has had an immense impact on the 2017 season -- the league said it was easing up on the rules for celebrations. In other words, they were putting the fun back in football.
Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed fans in a letter saying he wanted to let players have "more room to have fun after they make big plays."
Celebration veterans like Steelers WR Antonio Brown rejoiced.
The result has been week after week of entertaining, creative, and hilarious celebrations. Some players opt for solo dances a la Travis Kelce, others go for intricate group performances like the Vikings who put their twist on a schoolyard classic.
Now that we're into the second half of the season, we're going to reflect on these joyous moments by bringing you the best celebrations of the 2017 season (so far).
Each day this week, we'll bring your nominees and reveal the winner on Friday.
Today's nominee is Golden Tate Dropping The People's Elbow
Millions of Generation Xers and Millennials spent a lot of free time in their childhood watching pro wrestling in the '90s and early 2000s. When they weren't watching weekly programs like Monday Night Raw or begging their parents to order the latest pay-per-view special, many of these kids were often re-enacting their favorite wrestler's moves. These reenactments typically involved squaring off against their siblings (or cousins or friends) in PJs, using a bed as a "ring," occasional minor injuries, and eventually being yelled at when caught by adults.
Golden Tate was likely one of these kids doing all of the aforementioned. For fans who looked up to the wrestlers of the WWE's Attitude Era (late '90s thru early 2000s), there was arguably no bigger star at the time than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
The Rock made his debut as "Rocky Maivia" in 1996 and later on turned heel by joining the Nation of Domination. It wasn't until 1998, when The Rock broke away from The Nation of Domination and dubbed himself "The People's Champion," that he began to ascend into the peak of his WWE career.
He had the charisma, amazing one-liners that left you in stitches, and some electrifying signature moves like The Rock Bottom and The People's Elbow.
Tate was about 10 years old when The Rock used the People's Elbow to get the crowd going and lay the smackdown on his opponents. After hauling in a 45-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of the Lions Week 6 matchup against the Saints, the veteran wideout paid homage with the instantly recognizable elbow drop.
Fans loved it, including The Rock himself.
Tate's ability to layeth the smacketh down on the football and impress one of the greatest superstars in WWE history is good enough to earn him a spot on this list.
Remember to check back in tomorrow for more nominees.
