Gang Signs On The Field?

Since when have athletes starting associating themselves with street gangs, AND displaying their love for those gangs on the court/field? Well, it's happening, and the approriate athletic leagues aren't taking it lightly.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the NFL has hired experts to study game footage to determine whether players are using street-gang signs during the celebration of a sack or touchdown. Although, league officials do not believe the problem is widespread, the NFL has spoken to some unidentified players about their use of hand signals.

“There have been some suspected things we’ve seen,” Milt Ahlerich, the NFL’s vice president of security told the Times. “When we see it, we quietly jump on it immediately, directly with the team and the player or employee involved to cease and desist. Period.”

The NFL’s decision to review game tape for suspected signs came when the higher profile case of gang signs occurred during the NBA playoffs. Boston Celtics forward and captain Paul Pierce was fine $25,000 for making “menacing gestures” towards the Atlanta Hawks bench during a game of the opening round series.

We were always suspicious that [gang-related hand signals] might be happening,” Mike Pereira, the NFL’s vice-president of officiating told the Times. “But the Paul Pierce thing is what brought it to light. When he was fined…that’s when we said we need to take a look at it and see if we need to be aware of it.”

True enough, you have young guys coming into the leagues from all over, and we don't know any of their affiliations, if any, when they're at home. Most of the gestures you may see on the field/court are fraternity related, or signs that some players have for family or friends. Who knows, but whatever the case may be, I'm sure it's about to come to an end! But would that infringe on ones freedom of speech???