Earl Thomas hugs official, gets flagged

Published: Oct 30, 2016 at 07:15 AM

Seahawks safety Earl Thomas was in an excited state on Sunday after scooping up a Saints fumble and racing to the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown at the Superdome.

Really excited. Thomas handed the football to a fan and then hugged side judge Alex Kemp. I'm not sure this has ever happened before, soooooo ... hooray for history?

The ref was not a big fan of the unexpected PDA, pulling out a flag immediately. Thomas was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalty was enforced on the kickoff.

NFL fans have been universally annoyed by the extra vigilance by the league this year to stamp out acts of celebration on the field. I don't know if this is something you fault the officials for, however.

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