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Falcons' Blank applauds end of 'No Fun League' with celebration rule change

Dale Zanine / USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank expressed his unbridled support of the NFL's decision to relax its rules regarding on-field celebrations for the upcoming season.

It was announced that players will be allowed to use props and participate in group celebrations in 2017. Celebrations that depict violent or sexually suggestive acts are still outlawed, however.

Blank took notice of the general opinion fans expressed about the conservative leanings of the NFL, and said the new rule encourages players to act naturally.

"Well, from my perspective - and I'm a fan like all the rest of the fans - I think the NFL, you know the 'No Fun League,' I think that's been overplayed a little bit," Blank said Wednesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "And I think allowing the players ... allowing them to celebrate in appropriate ways after something great happens - a touchdown, a field goal, winning game, whatever the event may be - is natural.

"Go back to your childhood when you're playing any sport," Blank added. "Whenever you did something that was really good and you won and you were successful, you had a fist pump. You did whatever was appropriate, but you did celebrate. I think it's very natural for our players to celebrate. Our fans want to see them (celebrate). Frankly our players are going to be, in my opinion, very creative, because they are creative. They love to dance. They love music. And they know how to do it. So I certainly expect to see a lot more of that. And I think I'm looking forward to that next year, personally. I think our fans will as well."

Blank certainly enjoys having fun with his players, dancing up a storm in the locker room after the Falcons advanced past the Seattle Seahawks, then took to the podium to turn up after his club routed the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.

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