Kissing Coaches?

I just finished watching the Rutgers defeat of Louisville. I'm happy for Rutgers... I like the underdog. Last week I routed for Louisville when they played West Virginia.... this week I routed for Rutgers. (well I only watched the beginning and the last 10 minutes)
I'm happy for the program, the coaching staff who cast vision and the players who passed up other schools to believe in something and build it from the ground up. Can you imagine why a church planter can have a lot of respect for Rutgers these days?

ANYWAY.... on to my thought of the moment...

At the end of the game ESPN interviewed the head coach of Rutgers and a star runningback who came up with a 26 yard play to move the ball on a third down. The player talked about how he believed in the coach and program and that's why he passed up the NFL to return. The coach talked about how much he loved his players, etc. Then it happened.... The unnecessary and perplexing thing happened... The coach embraces the player... which is cool... but then he kisses him on the cheek.

I understand the emotion of the moment. I understand what it's like to win after a long period of trial and testing.... I'm certain that the emotion swept them... but c'mon... a kiss?

The reason it caught my eye is that here in the last few weeks I've seen coaches kissing players like it's some kind of hot line on a new Jay-Z album that just started a trend...


To explain, I'll give you a part of an article at Fox Sports:
"Suddenly and without warning, coaches are kissing players with the entire nation as an audience.

It all started (we'll admit we're a bit shortsighted) when Steelers linebacker (notice we said "linebacker," the meanest of the mean and nasty players on the football field) Joey Porter (who's likely the meanest of the mean) and his head coach, Bill Cowher, smooched during the NFL season opener.

At first it was all very awkward, but then America got over it and forgot all about the kiss seen around the world (or, just America). Maybe it was because people got distracted by Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' new baby, or the latest news coming out of the Angelina Jolie-Brad Pitt camp, but we'd forgotten all about ill-timed kissing on the gridiron.

That is, until Sunday, when formerly-grizzled Cowboys coach Bill Parcells suddenly got soft on us and went kiss happy.

He kissed Keith Davis on the sidelines.

He kissed Keyshawn Johnson after the game.

He appeared to have even given Terrell Owens a kiss."

It's getting out of hand. When I played football you may have gotten a whack on the rear or a smack on your shoulder pads. I've even had the coach get in my grill and project saliva while yelling over a missed tackle. Heck I even had one coach during my freshman year (when I weighed a whopping 112lbs) grab my face mask and yell "Get off the field son, you're going to get hurt!" Yes it scarred me, no I'm not completely over it.

Anyway... my point is that in sport emotions can cause you to do things you normally wouldn't do casually at the mall or on the practice field.... but c'mon guys... can we leave the kissing to the wives?... it's freakin me out.