Can someone explain this celebration (the add-on at the end) to me?

[KeeLo]

I've seen it before; I think Ronald Acuna will do that after a big hit/play sometimes. Apparently it's called the "too small" taunt. I never thought much of it until I saw Okonkwo and Wojcik's add-on of a stomp at the end. Seems to take it way overboard and I think it's understandable if someone finds it offensive or unsportsmanlike.

Any further insight or explanation of the stomp would be appreciated.

Are there more important things for me to worry about? No. haha. Yes, of course. Thanks for asking.

 

[ChiShankCity]

It's been around for a while. Russell Westbrook was doing it initially back in 2018.

I'm all for making sports as unsportsmanlike as possible. Loved the Pitt kid standing on the Duke table. Loved the Duke fans giving him the bird.

Hatred is part of the fun.

 

[Ozheelfan]

I'll speculate on the stomp... maybe referring to Mando being dominant and stomping on the pre-season all overrated team member he'd just scored on? Or stomping on the Dookies overall.... keeping their foot on the throat?

Certainly the Laettner wannabe hadn't endeared himself to the Heels....

By that stage of the game, flipper had already smacked RJ in the mouth, and had been overpowered around the basket (he did shoot a near unguardable fade-away). His coathanger/headlock only came later.

 

[RP12]

I understand part of this was in response to dirty play from Flopowski. However, I would LOVE to see this type of stuff shut down. In my opinion this should be one of those things that “we don’t do here”. Coach Smith is the standard for me in judging who I hope Carolina basketball will be and this is against everything he stood for. Public gestures with no purpose other than belittling opponents is something I expect from State not Carolina.

 

[DaveChapelle]

 

[TPFKAPFS]

How about we assume they are stomping on a Roach! The kids are having fun and responding to the attempt to bully us by opponents. I like a little trash talk and remember plenty of peeps doing it during the DES years. Was MJ's tongue and Sheed's "ball don't lie" scream taunting??? Hans high stepping down the court windmilling his arms is exuberance and fun or is it taunting? It has always been a game and I love it when the kids show their passion even when it sometimes goes overboard! I get charged up when opponents do it and I get even more excited when we do! Let's keep fun in the game as long as we don't cross the line into unsportsmanlike behavior like-clotheslining a guard, stomping on a chest, putting a head lock on an opponent or throwing an elbow that bloodies a nose!

 

[bleeduncblue]

Dean would have shut it down. Makhtar N'diaye would have loved it. i think it looks kinda stupid since Flip abused Mando several times too.

MJ's tongue wagging and Sheed screaming are totally different than the stupid stuff that these players do now, IMO.

 

[DSouthr]

I like seeing our bench involved in the game and having fun...

 

[ChiShankCity]

Dean would have shut it down. Makhtar N'diaye would have loved it. i think it looks kinda stupid since Flip abused Mando several times too.

MJ's tongue wagging and Sheed screaming are totally different than the stupid stuff that these players do now, IMO.

 

[ChiShankCity]

I understand part of this was in response to dirty play from Flopowski. However, I would LOVE to see this type of stuff shut down. In my opinion this should be one of those things that “we don’t do here”. Coach Smith is the standard for me in judging who I hope Carolina basketball will be and this is against everything he stood for. Public gestures with no purpose other than belittling opponents is something I expect from State not Carolina.

Unrelated question... Not sure if you're a baseball fan, but if you are... Do you have an opinion either way about bat flipping and show boating after a home run? Are you "act like you've been there before" or the pro bat flipping?

I don't think this is an eras thing either. My favorite dunk of all time might have been Shawn Kemp on Alton Lister and Kemp literally pointed at Lister afterwards in a squated position, lolol.

 

[bleeduncblue]

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"he was a lumberjack!" 🤣 🤣 🤣

 

[TPFKAPFS]

Smack talk has been part of the game since the Peach Basket! IE: "Mortimer, you seem to have misplaced your knickers!" And "Please forgive me for rejecting your try without sufficient deliberation!" Different eras have different forms, but it boils down to a line that is hard to define but easy to see when it is crossed! Stepping over someone is out but standing over them for a sec is OK. Too Small is in right now as long as you don't do it directly in the person's face! I employed a little trash talk when I played and all it did was add some spice. We did try to make it funny in my day but sometimes it just had to be personal!

 

[GoNtheDistance]

too small then you stomp on em. I like the emotion as long as it doesn't cross the line. kids now need things fun to keep them engaged at a high level. I'd rather have the problem with showing too much emotion vs what we've had in a few recent years where we look like we may or may not have a pulse at any given moment. pick your battles boys. These ain't Dean's Heels and the game has changed.

 

[TarHeelTroy]

too small then you stomp on em. I like the emotion as long as it doesn't cross the line. kids now need things fun to keep them engaged at a high level. I'd rather have the problem with showing too much emotion vs what we've had in a few recent years where we look like we may or may not have a pulse at any given moment. pick your battles boys. These ain't Dean's Heels and the game has changed.

You said pretty much exactly what I was thinking. Fans have been criticizing the team for the last few years for no passion, and now it's too much? We as college sports fans need to stop looking for things to be offended by and just enjoy these students playing with joy and passion. If it's not my team winning then yeah it would be annoying for the other team to do it, but that's sports and that's life. You just nod your head and play harder to shut them up. The recent "horns down" controversy with Texas coach is another example when you should shut up, stop complaining, and play harder.

 

[Ozheelfan]

Agree... time and place.

Too often we see NBA players celebrating 3 pointers, dunks etc but their team is down by 30!

But towards the end of a physical game against the hated rival, having played back into form, against an opponent who was tipped against you in the pre-season? Mando's celebration was appropriate and not over the top.

 

[RP12]

Unrelated question... Not sure if you're a baseball fan, but if you are... Do you have an opinion either way about bat flipping and show boating after a home run? Are you "act like you've been there before" or the pro bat flipping?

I don't think this is an eras thing either. My favorite dunk of all time might have been Shawn Kemp on Alton Lister and Kemp literally pointed at Lister afterwards in a squated position, lolol.

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I love baseball-more watching my 11 year old than MLB, but yes my tastes are away from that sort of thing but it would need to incorporate something directly ridiculing the pitcher (lame arm celebration incoming!) to be as bad.

And it isn’t opposing emotion, watching EC’s genuine joy for other people’s success is beautiful to me on an emotional level and I for me embodies what makes Carolina basketball special and distinct for me.

 

[TarHeelTroy]

Agree... time and place.

Too often we see NBA players celebrating 3 pointers, dunks etc but their team is down by 30!

But towards the end of a physical game against the hated rival, having played back into form, against an opponent who was tipped against you in the pre-season? Mando's celebration was appropriate and not over the top.

Yep I agree, not over the top. There is always going to be a point where you can go "too far", and opinions on where the line is will differ. I was one who would say Angel Reese took it too far after the championship game last year because she was getting up in the face of Clark and following her around with it. But if you are celebrating with your teammates and not directly taunting the other team it's fine. If Reese would have just been surrounded by her teammates and pointing to her ring finger and whatnot, that's fine. At the end of the day if Coach Hubert is ok with it and allows it then we as fans should let it go. IMO