Professional sports organization continue to crack down on any form of celebration and form of personality in sports. Players and fans appear to have joined in reprimanding for shows of emotion. Case in point, Lance McCullers in game four of the ALDS. Watch:
As I put on the caption, what I thought I was seeing was Lance McCullers jacked up after closing out the sixth inning against the Royals -- arguably the biggest inning McCullers' career. The Royals players and fans saw it another way:
Just saw the throat slash of McCullers after he imitated Hosmers kid's in the backpack #Trash
— RoyalBall (@royal_ball) October 12, 2015
Volquez and others in Royals dugout said they saw McCullers do a throat-slash gesture after he came off the mound after the sixth.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) October 12, 2015
Volquez on the gesture: "C'mon, man. You've got to get 27 outs. Not 17."
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) October 12, 2015
Fair enough, whatever gets you motivated to play the game -- good for you. I guess I'm clearly missing something. I honestly don't know what McCullers was doing, but a "throat slash" has clear motion. What McCullers did wasn't a throat slash. It was spasm of a 22-year-old who is too young to act like he's been there before.
And as McCullers points out, he never once looked over to either dugout while making the motion.
Obviously I didn't do that, everyone needs to chill... Wasn't even looking that way, wasn't directed to them at all. https://t.co/xohwnfOa1o
— Lance McCullers Jr. (@LMcCullers43) October 12, 2015
Lets all stop making a mountain out of this particular molehill.