Josh Norman blasts NFL for its 'double standard' as moral police

Norman says football is a barbaric sport and the NFL sells ad space to beer companies, so who are they to play moral police?

The NFL's crackdown on taunting and celebrations has drawn the ire of many players and fans. Some of the league's most demonstrative players, like Antonio Brown and Josh Norman, have been punished for celebrations and forced to pull back on the theatrics.

Norman, who has never been one to hold his tongue, was penalized for miming a bow and arrow in Week 4 and fined $10,000 for the gesture. The violation was part of the league's rules against violent celebrations like a “throat slash” or “machine-gun salute.”

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks also does the bow and arrow celebration, but says he does it for Biblical reasons and doesn't plan to change his ways. Either way, Norman says the NFL needs to take a look at its priorities:

“I think we have a double standard as a league,” Norman told 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. “We say want to be PG [rated] or whatever television show we showing, but at the same time we're selling beer on TV shows when kids [are] watching. So it's kind of like, well dang, if that's the case and that's good, why can't we have fun within the game?

“I mean it's a barbaric sport. So if you want to be a double standard, like, c'mon, man. Let's be realistic here. You want to have things the way you want it, but then again, when it comes to us, we can't have the things we want. It don't even make any sense.”

Among the other questionable penalties and fines in 2016 was a $9,000 fine and 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed to Terrelle Pryor for using the ball as a prop when he paid homage to LeBron James after a touchdown.

The reaction by the league's players to the crackdown was to celebrate as robotically as possible in Week 5.

“I think people in that [NFL] office ... always want to find something to stick us with,” Norman said. “It's just sad we've come to this, but that's what it is and we're going to continue to fight it, man.”

Norman is no stranger to fines and received two in one game last season. Earlier in the 2016 season he received a huge $48,620 penalty for a vicious hit on New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard that drew an unnecessary roughness penalty.