The phrase, "Scoreboard, Baby!" is an old one, and it's generally aimed at any athlete who takes great pleasure in his or her individual accomplishments as his or her team is getting squashed. It's a good way to shut an opponent up ? we're throwing fire upon you; maybe you shouldn't be celebrating yourself with the game completely out of reach.
That's why, especially in the wake of Stevie Johnson's ill-advised celebration, it was so refreshing to see one guy get it. When receiver Victor Cruz of the New York Giants scored on a 72-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning early in the fourth quarter of what became a 49-24 "Monday Night Football" beatdown of his team by the New Orleans Saints, Cruz wisely left his usual celebration dance -- the salsa ? behind, and acted as if he'd been there before under better circumstances.
Actually, Cruz's salsa celebration is less the premeditated mess some might make it out to be (seriously, Costas ... just shut up) ? he does it as a celebration of his heritage. As one of the few Hispanic players in the NFL, Cruz goes with that particular end zone dance as a tribute to his grandmother, who taught him how to do it.
"The dance is one thing, and it's great," Cruz told the New York Times about a recent trip to Puerto Rico. "But football should be a global game. I'd like to see some more camps down there, some more kids playing. If I have an opportunity to help make that happen, I definitely want to take advantage of it."
Better still, he knows when to tone it down. Scoreboard, Baby.
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