Panthers RB Rico Dowdle gets the last laugh against the NFL with the best possible celebration following Week 10 touchdown
Rico Dowdle had the best response one week removed from his questionable celebration.
Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle was the story of the week in the NFL following his actions, and the actions of the NFL, dating back to last Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers.
In the win, Dowdle was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct on his celebration following his second touchdown of the game. Dowdle reenacted the famous “Hingle McCringleberry” dance but only had “two pumps” which Dowdle believed to be a legal celebration.
However, Dowdle was flagged following the play and later slammed with a $14,491 fine by the NFL.
Panthers head coach Dave Canales noted throughout the week that his players needed to be smarter moving forward with the celebrations and even brought in Keegan-Michael Key, who played Hingle McCringleberry in the sketch, as a surprise guest later in the week during the team meeting.
“We’ve still got to get clarification on the rule, Rico, in case so [it happens again]… Let’s get an expert,” Canales said during the meeting. “Can we get Keegan-Michael Key to explain it to us?”
Rico Dowdle took Keegan-Michael Key’s message to heart against the Saints
“Let me see, $14,000 for two pumps. So, if I’m doing the math correctly, that’s seven grand a pump,” Key jokingly explained to Dowdle in the team meeting. “That means if your next celebration, you do zero pumps, that would then cost you zero thousand dollars in a fine.”
It was all around a great moment for Dowdle and the team to make light of the situation, and do some good with Dowdle starting a successful GoFundMe. But, he also took that message to heart.
On Sunday, Dowdle powered his way into the end zone for the first score of the game against the New Orleans Saints. After the play, Dowdle put his hands behind his head and got ready to do the same celebration as last week, but did not reenact the pump. Zero pumps, as Key suggested.
And what do you know, no flag by the referee.
In all seriousness, the Rico Dowdle train continues to roll in Week 10 and he’s already off to a hot start against the Saints defense. If you want to learn more about Dowdle’s GoFundMe cause, click the link here.
Carolina Panthers News
NFL lives up to its infamous nickname by hitting Rico Dowdle with news he didn’t want to hear, but he’s turned it into a good cause
The Carolina Panthers running back was in fact fined for his Week 9 celebration.
