A group of friends form a circle, eight of them sitting down while one other trots around the perimeter. As he walks, he pats each person on the head, saying ‘duck, duck, duck,’ and eventually shouts ‘goose!’ as the person tapped chases him around. No, this is not the scene of a kindergarten classroom. The Minnesota Vikings have just scored a touchdown.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TIQqpQ8cU4

Although seemingly silly, these end zone celebrations have provided relief from the troubles of the NFL. During the early weeks of the season, things looked pretty bleak for the league. President Trump publicly declared his disdain for the league and many of its players in response to widespread protests of the national anthem. Also angered by protests, many fans turned against their teams and favorite players. Through all of the chaos, end zone celebrations have provided a much needed escape.

Before this season, any celebration that was remotely excessive was flagged for a 15-yard penalty with thousands of dollars in fines on the side. This included going to the ground on a celebration, using a prop such as the football, any choreographed dance with teammates and less specific violations. For example, during a preseason game in 2014, New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham was fined $30,000 for dunking the football over the goalpost twice. That’s equivalent to a new SUV right out of Graham’s pocket for celebrating during a game that doesn’t even count.

It took way too long for the No Fun League to revoke the excessive celebration rules since their introduction in 2006. Although wide receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson certainly pushed the boundaries of celebrating in the early 2000s, I don’t think we needed a 10-year hiatus. But it seems like NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has gotten lucky with his timing. There was no better time to make football fun again than in 2017.

Celebrations are helping to bring back the appeal of the NFL that is fading away. With an alarming risk for serious injury including concussions, ACL injuries and other dangers, the NFL will likely continue to lose fans to the NBA and other professional sports leagues unless it solidifies its appeal. Although other steps must be taken, rescinding the excessive celebration penalty is one in the right direction.

So far, reducing restrictions on celebrations has proved beneficial for the league. Celebration highlights are extremely popular with fans on social media, and players appear more passionate about football now that they can express their excitement freely. With all the newfound positivity, it’s hard to think of why the excessive celebration penalty was even introduced in the first place.

Considering all the conflict surrounding the early weeks of the season, I am beyond satisfied with how this season has turned out. While the league seemed to be falling apart, celebrations have managed to bring everyone together. And that’s a reason to celebrate.