Redskins Norman fined for 'bow and arrow' celebration

Redskins Norman fined for 'bow and arrow' celebration

NEW YORK - Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman has been fined $10,000 for his controversial bow and arrow celebration, the National Football League confirmed Thursday.

Cornerback Josh Norman of the Washington Redskins drew the ire of officials by pretending to fire a bow and arrow after a fourth-quarter interception against the Cleveland Browns

Norman drew the ire of officials by pretending to fire a bow and arrow after a fourth-quarter interception against the Cleveland Browns last weekend.

However the penalty has baffled Norman, who performed the same celebration two weeks earlier against the Dallas Cowboys and was not sanctioned.

Norman's fine comes as the NFL grapples with a surge in penalties for taunting and unsportsmanlike behavior.

The NFL's officiating vice president Dean Blandino said Wednesday teams would be sent a video clarifying what celebrations were acceptable.

According to ESPN, taunting calls have jumped 220 percent compared to the first four weeks of last season while other unsportsmanlike penalties -- mostly for celebrations -- had risen by 56 percent.

Blandino said the crackdown was aimed at gestures which could be interpreted as violent or sexually suggestive.

"The key is if it's a gesture that either mimics a violent act -- that's something with a firearm or a bow and arrow -- or a sexually suggestive act, those are unsportsmanlike conduct," Blandino said on the NFL network.

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