By now you've seen it. A player makes an enormous catch or runs for a primary down or touchdown. He jumps up, extends one arm, extends his index finger and raises his thumb to create an imaginary weapon. Generally, the “shots” are fired within the direction of a particular person. But the unsportsmanlike conduct flags still got here up, meaning a 15-yard penalty.

The NFL is sending the message that finger guns are over after issuing eight penalties and fines to players for such celebrations in the primary 4 weeks of the season. Two more players were cited Sunday for handgun displays, which the NFL considers a violent gesture. The fines for week 5 can be announced on Saturday afternoon.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London earned a flag and a superb for the gesture in Week 2. In Week 3, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers received two violent gesture penalties. This was followed by two fines totaling $14,069. Five players – Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, New Orleans Saints defensive backs Marshon Lattimore and Alontae Taylor, New York Jets wideout Allen Lazard and Washington Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols – were penalized for the celebration in Week 4.

For these eight violations, players were fined a median of $12,697.50. Cincinnati Bengals wideout Andrei Iosivas was also cited and fined for unsportsmanlike conduct in Week 2 when he mimed shooting a bow and arrow after a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, he appealed the $5,305 superb and won.

Indianapolis Colts receiver Josh Downs received a penalty for pointing downfield in Week 5. in addition to Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton. Still, Lamb and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster weren’t penalized for celebrating first downs with similar gestures in last week's games, although that doesn't preclude possible fines.

Slayton noted the official discrepancy at X.

It's cool after they do it https://t.co/dOX1kb0Qap

— Darius Slayton (@Young_Slay2) October 8, 2024

The NFL's unsportsmanlike conduct rules are as follows:

London he said regretted his celebrationwho imitated shooting into the air with a machine gun. Three days earlier, the Falcons hosted the Apalachee High School football team in Georgia, where two students and two teachers were killed in a shooting on Sept. 4.

It may feel like a sudden crackdown, but NFL and team officials, in addition to players in NFLPA leadership positions, say the league's aversion to such acts is nothing latest. The NFL has long had a rule that forestalls players from making violent gestures on the sector. In addition to finger guns, this also includes throat cuts and gang signs. In 2022, the league fined 13 Pittsburgh Steelers players $4,715 to $13,261 for choreography machine gun-like interception celebration. In 2023, Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson and tight end David Njoku were each fined $13,569 Weapons themed celebration. These are only two examples from previous seasons.

The NFL and the NFL Players Association are jointly negotiating an on-field code of conduct for all players. fines, in keeping with the NFL rules“will be donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation to support legends in need and to the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and well-being of athletes at all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the sport .”

Two NFL directors of player development said the penalties and fines weren’t a brand new initiative or a spotlight of the league, which has cracked down on taunts in recent seasons. Instead, they said, players have just began using the finger fire celebration more regularly.

A senior league official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he didn’t wish to comment on any specific incident, said players are warned yearly that such gestures will lead to penalties and fines. Every yr, the league shows players a video educating them about acceptable and unacceptable types of celebration. The NFL rulebookwhich is given to each player yearly, also prohibits saluting with firearms.

A league official said that as such celebrations became more popular at highschool and college games, the NFL saw a trickle-down effect at its own games.

Among the violent gestures which have stood out in college football this season: Last week, South Carolina defensive back Dylan Stewart mimicked shooting Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart with a machine gun while the quarterback was still on the bottom and recovered from Stewart's sack. In Week 1, on LSU's first touchdown of the season, wide receiver Kyren Lacy pretended to shoot a gun at USC's defense.

“We're starting to see, I hate to say it, but more and more of it,” said Steve Shaw, the national coordinator of NCAA officials. said The Associated Press earlier this week. “We’re just trying to say this is not acceptable. Gun violence is unacceptable in our game.”

Several NFL employees not sleep so far on all points of the youth game, and the league is diligent in targeting its messages to a younger audience. Because of the celebrity status of its players, the NFL is careful to curb violent gestures in the sport and hopes that recent penalties and fines quickly force players to alter.

When asked concerning the matter, a second senior NFL official said: “Non-negotiable. Find another way to celebrate.”

The athletic one

Juneteenth celebrations and observances were widespread across the United States on Wednesday, marking its fourth yr as a federally recognized holiday.

For greater than 150 years, Juneteenth has held profound significance inside many Black communities, commemorating the seminal moment in 1865 when the enslaved population in Galveston, Texas, learned of their emancipation, a full two years following President Abraham Lincoln’s issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Here is a have a look at celebrations across the nation:

WASHINGTON, DC

DALLAS, TX

MONTGOMERY, AL

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA

CHICAGO, IL

LOS ANGELES, CA

POTOMAC, MD

NEWARK, NJ

 

If we were to observe the sunrise every morning, we might notice that its position seems to shift somewhat bit day-after-day.

During spring, the sun appears further north on the horizon within the Northern Hemisphere day-after-day. Every 12 months, around June twentieth or twenty first, this movement seems to stop in the so-called summer solsticeDuring this time, the Earth's axis is tilted toward the Sun and the intensity of sunlight is best within the Northern Hemisphere.

As a Historian of AstronomyI’m thinking about the role that astronomical events played for people in precedent days and still play today. My ancestors lived on the Central Mexican Plateauwhere for a lot of indigenous cultures, each past and present, the rising and setting of the sun through the equinoxes and solstices were sacred events.

North American Solstice Rituals

The significance of the summer solstice for the indigenous peoples of Mexico depended largely on regional agricultural cycles. The summer solstice was celebrated within the Aztec ritual calendarThis could also be since the rainy season within the Mexican Basin begins in early May and there was little agricultural activity in June.

In the Sierra Madre Occidental northwest of the basin, nonetheless, the rainy season doesn’t begin until the tip of June. The Wixárika people of the region have a good time the summer solstice with the festival of He calls Neixwhich marks the start of their planting season. The Wixárika are subsistence farmers who grow mainly maize, beans and pumpkins. They are known for his or her annual pilgrimages to the Wirikuta Desert, which they imagine is the birthplace of the sun.

For most of the indigenous peoples of the United States and Canada The summer solstice is related to a ceremonial sun danceIt is believed that the ceremony has its origins among the many Sioux people and spread across the Great Plains within the early nineteenth century after it was taken over by neighboring tribes.

This period also coincided with the Forced displacement of indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, leading to extreme cultural changes wherein bison hunting and communal land use were replaced by sedentary living and farming on individual plots of land.

Suppression of indigenous culture

In 1883, the US government began a campaign to suppress the Sun Dances, labelling them as crimes for which Punishments included prisonThe dominant culture of the time didn’t consider Native American rituals and beliefs to be true religions—subsequently, they believed they weren’t entitled to the protection of the First Amendment.

In the fight for Religious freedom and to preserve their traditions, many tribal leaders presented the dances as social events and celebrations of national holidaysespecially on July 4th. In other tribal communities the dances were held in secret.

It was not until 1934 that the US government has partially revised its policy and allowed the performance of the dance again, although some ritual features were still forbidden.

In 1972, almost a century after the primary suppression, the Lakota Sun Dance held again within the Pine Ridge Reservation in its full traditional form. Six years later, Congress passed the Native American Religious Freedom Actwhich recognizes the rights of Native Americans to take part in traditional ceremonies, enter sacred sites, and possess sacred objects.

Ritual of resistance

Today, indigenous peoples face many other challenges, including environmental degradation and cultural appropriation.

In the Wirikuta Desert in north central Mexico, industrial agriculture it result in, accelerated groundwater extraction and the decline in biodiversity. The Wixárika individuals are increasingly concerned concerning the impact that is having on their traditional lifestyle.

Around the summer solstice 2023 special pilgrimage was made by members of a regional Wixárika council to wish for rain, protection of their sacred land and “renewal of the world.” The region has experienced heat waves and droughts recently. After the ceremony, the council released a public statement In it, they asked the Mexican government to guard their lifestyle and the environment.

In the USA there’s a brand new conflict over the Sun Dance: In the Eighties, foreign entrepreneurs began to Commercialization of indigenous products and practicesThis includes the organization of Ceremonies and dances for profitwhich are frequently devoid of history and cultural context. The profits rarely flow back to communities, a lot of which struggle for basic resources. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services One in three Native Americans lives in poverty.

In response, during a global gathering of the Sioux in June 1993, it was unanimously Declaration of war against the exploiters of Lakota spirituality was passed, calling on all indigenous peoples to withstand the exploitation and abuse of their sacred traditions. This has resulted in participation in lots of sun dances being restricted to tribal members. Today, Native Americans are still actively working to preserve their culture and spirituality.

The two words “solstice” and “resist” come from the Latin verb to stopwhich suggests “to stop” or “to stand still.” Interestingly, among the resistance actions of indigenous peoples to preserve their traditional lifestyle revolve across the solstice.

The Wixárika individuals are calling on the skin world to stop industrial practices which can be damaging to the environment. The Sioux are demanding an end to the exploitation of their sacred traditions.

Pride month is approaching within the United States, which is often celebrated in June. But Pride events should not limited to a single 30-day period. Because these events are sometimes tied to a region's history of LGBTQ+ equality movements, they happen at different times in other places around the globe.

If you don't just wish to attend the Pride festival in person (or wish to have fun beyond June), you possibly can book a visit to certainly one of these six LGBTQ+ events around the globe.

1st MemDay Weekend Women's Festival in Provincetown, Massachusetts (May 23-27)

A historic artists' colony and popular LGBTQ+ destination, picturesque Provincetown, Massachusetts is thought for celebrating individuality and free expression. Ptown, because it's known locally, hosts several LGBTQ+ events all year long, including the MemDay Weekend Women's Festival, which celebrates LGBTQ+ women, in addition to nonbinary and transgender people.

MemDay takes place at the top of May, just before the beginning of Pride Month. It is organized by LesbianNightLife, which describes MemDay as the biggest lesbian takeover within the country.

Events at MemDay Ptown include the MoonLit Pool Party and the Freedom Boat Cruise. If you're single, there's a ticket called the Single & Social Pass that features speed dating, a coffee meet-up, and a singles tea dance.

Provincetown is well accessible for out-of-town visitors. Travelers can take a 1.5-hour ferry ride from Boston to Provincetown for $108-$120 round-trip.

2. Berlin Pride (28 June – 28 July)

Berlin Pride is a wonderful option should you're searching for a Pride event with a various crowd that may keep you dancing day and night. Berlin, the capital of Germany, is thought for its acceptance of gays, lesbians, and queers.

“What makes Berlin Pride so great is its inclusive nature – Berlin is by definition a place that embraces and welcomes the alternative,” said Jason Lindo, a California native who formerly lived in Berlin, in a text message.

One of the highlights of Berlin Pride is the Christopher Day Street Parade, wherein as much as 750,000 people march through town. But Berlin Pride is about greater than just fun. The organizers also run a political campaign and publish demands yearly.

June and July are among the hottest travel months in Europe, so to avoid wasting on flights across the pond, consider booking an inexpensive flight to a close-by destination. There are loads of budget airlines and trains that may take you to Berlin should you can find an inexpensive transatlantic flight to a different European city. Award flights inside Europe can be relatively low-cost.

3. Amsterdam Pride (2-4 August)

The International LGBT+ Travel Association calls Amsterdam Pride “one of the largest gay events in the world.” It includes street festivals, dance parties and, because the foremost event, a ship parade through Amsterdam’s famous canals, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Dave Saunders is a British expat living in Los Angeles and took part in Amsterdam Pride 2023.

“Amsterdam Pride is great because it is unique – the parade takes place on the canals and the Pride floats are barges. The banks of the canals are covered with crowds celebrating and cheering on the barges,” he said in a text message.

If you need to plan upfront for a groundbreaking version of Amsterdam Pride, mark the date in your calendar as Amsterdam will host WorldPride 2026.

4th Taiwan Pride (24-27 October)

Taiwan Pride is the biggest LGBTQ+ pride event in East Asia, with an estimated 176,000 people expected to take part in the march in 2023, in response to the Taipei Times. It's not surprising that Taiwan Pride draws such a big crowd, as Taiwan became the primary place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019.

You could easily spend your entire trip at Taiwan Pride, but there are also loads of free walking tours and other attractions in Taipei to maintain you busy.

“If you are visiting Taipei for Taiwan Pride, be sure to visit Elephant Mountain, an easily accessible hike that offers views of the Taipei skyline, including Taipei 101,” David Chou, an American living in San Diego who has attended several Taiwan Prides, said in a text message.

5. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (February/March)

Australia's largest LGBTQ+ celebration is the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, an annual event that lasts about two weeks in February and March. The timing is sweet for U.S. travelers searching for a warm winter vacation, because the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras takes place at the top of summer within the Southern Hemisphere. Plus, there's still loads of time between now and next 12 months's event to earn points or miles and get a Reward flight to Australia.

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is big and star-studded. This 12 months's event's parade included 12,500 marchers, 200 floats and 250,000 spectators. Mardi Gras has also featured among the world's best musicians, including past performers Dua Lipa, Cher, Sam Smith and Kylie Minogue.

If you need to add some beach time to your Sydney Mardi Gras experience, take a look at the Bondi Beach Party – a dance party for 15,000 revelers on Bondi Beach.

6. Cape Town Pride in South Africa (March)

Although Cape Town Pride is smaller than the opposite events listed – the Cape Town parade earlier this 12 months attracted just over 3,000 people – it’s a notable exception because it is a rare LGBTQ+ Pride celebration in Africa. According to Amnesty International, homosexuality remains to be illegal in greater than 30 African countries.

If you're not collaborating in Pride activities, you’ll want to take a look at some budget-friendly Cape Town highlights, including climbing up Lion's Head, visiting the penguins at Boulders Beach, and spending a day on the beach in Camps Bay.

How to avoid wasting on travel to LGBTQ+ events

While many Pride parades are free, travel and other LGBTQ+ friendly events might not be free. Here are some ways to get monetary savings while celebrating:

• Look for hotel packages for Pride Month. Some hotels offer discounted rates and extra perks comparable to a welcome gift or a free bottle of wine.
• Book early. Some of the paid events for Pride Month and other LGBTQ+ celebrations offer early bird discounts should you purchase tickets upfront.
• Use points and miles to cover the fee of flights and hotels. If you pay with a travel bank card, it’s possible you’ll find a way to make use of points or miles as an alternative of money to cover your travel expenses.

SAN JOSE – City officials and the San Jose Police Department will implement a series of planned road closures to accommodate this weekend's Cinco de Mayo celebrations, but with a clearer spirit of support for the festivities in comparison with last 12 months, because the highway access from necessary areas were cut off and led to sharp criticism and accusations of racism.

The celebrations in downtown and east San Jose will happen Saturday and Sunday, and motorists and residents can expect various road closures throughout the weekend. While there are quite a few strict closures tied to specific events, police announced last month that additionally they have a listing of possible traffic diversions to function an emergency solution to ease congestion and accommodate ever-increasing crowds to maintain moving.

While these closures are generally normal for police, they drew criticism last 12 months from some local leaders and even state lawmakers, who broadly accused the town of shutting off access to downtown to handle unfounded safety concerns about large crowds of individuals Mexicans to filter American revelers.

There has since been an about-face within the tone of city and civic leaders in San Jose, and that was reinforced Thursday by a news release from the town with a series of optimistic statements.

Downtown City Council member Omar Torres, a number one critic of last 12 months's road closure, said he was pleased to “welcome everyone to the heart of downtown for the Cinco De Mayo parade and celebrations.”…Our collaboration with the community, the The City’s Department of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs and the SJ Police Department will ensure a secure and fun Cinco De Mayo weekend for everybody.”

Acting Police Chief Paul Joseph added, “We are devoting resources to minimize traffic disruptions and crime so the public can maximize their time celebrating at sanctioned events in San Jose.”

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Cinco de Mayo street closure in San Jose

Saturday

• Barack Obama Boulevard between West Santa Clara and West St. John streets; West Santa Clara Street between Stockton Avenue and Barack Obama Boulevard
• Left lane of South Market Street along Plaza de Cesar Chavez

Sunday

• East Santa Clara Street between South Sixth and South Market Streets; South Market Street between East Santa Clara Street and Plaza de Cesar Chavez
  Left lane of South Market Street along Plaza de Cesar Chavez
• South King Road between Alum Rock Avenue and Interstate 680
  South King Road between Interstate 680 and Story Road
  The entrances and exits from Interstate 680 to South King Road can be closed throughout the event

Possible closures

As an emergency, city and police officials may reroute traffic in the next areas between Friday and Sunday depending on congestion and crowding:

• East Santa Clara Street between Highway 87 and Highway 101
• South Market Street between East Santa Clara Street and Plaza de Cesar Chavez
• South Fourth Street between East Santa Clara Street and Interstate 280
• South tenth Street between East Santa Clara Street and Interstate 280
  *Roosevelt Park can be fenced

• Alum Rock Avenue between Highway 101 and Interstate 680
• King Road between Alum Rock Avenue and Tully Road
• Story Road between King Road and East Capitol Expressway
• South Jackson Avenue between Interstate 680 and Story Road
• Ocala Avenue between King Road and East Capitol Expressway
• Tully Road between Highway 101 and East Capitol Expressway