ADAM GREEN

Green: DRC, have all the fun you want

Oct 16, 2009, 1:32 AM | Updated: Jan 14, 2011, 4:24 pm

“It’s all fun. You gotta have fun…I probably overdid it a little bit, but I didn’t mean anything by it – just fun.”

There Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was Sunday, less than an hour after his interception won the game for the Cardinals (and maybe saved their season), apologizing. How does that happen?

Here’s the rundown, for those of you who may have missed it.

With a little over two minutes left and the Cardinals struggling to hold off the Texans, DRC stepped in front of a Matt Schaub pass and returned the interception 49 yards for what proved to be the game winning touchdown, high-stepping for the last 20 yards on his way to the end zone.

Afterward the talk in the press box was that it was a bad move on DRC’s part to high step so soon, and after the game Coach Whisenhunt told the media that he was going to have a discussion with his second-year DB about the issue.

Thing is, as far as I’m concerned, there is nothing for DRC to apologize for and nothing he should have to answer for. I mean, come on, the guy did win the game for the Cardinals.

Now, there are people who will tell you what he did was classless. Of them I ask, how? How is celebrating a big play and enjoying the game of football classless? Was he showing up the Texans? Not at all, unless you think he was taunting Owen Daniels, who was maybe in the same area code “chasing” DRC down.

No, what Rodgers-Cromartie was doing was having fun, and for a guy who has struggled all season, finally making a play had to feel good and he wanted to enjoy the moment. It’s like, for me, when I’m playing basketball and getting torched on defense (shocking, I know), when I finally make a play and swat the guy’s shot I usually have a little fun with a small finger wag or “words of encouragement”. It’s not so much showing up the other guy, rather it is more about a sigh of relief, knowing I finally did something right.

I have also heard the logic of, “What if he tripped over himself and didn’t score?” Well, if that was the case, I’d be upset and this blog would have a completely different angle. If DRC would have pulled a Dre Bly and not only danced after an interception with his team down big but fumble and lose the ball too, I would have been the first one in line with criticism.

The fact is DRC didn’t trip, he didn’t lose the ball, and his touchdown gave his team the lead late in the fourth quarter. He made the play, and that’s what really matters.

Adam can be reached with your questions and comments by e-mail here.

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