Kennedy: Dab dance wearing thin

The Dab, as popularized by Cam Newton.
The Dab, as popularized by Cam Newton.

A little dab'll do ya.

Some will remember that line in old ads for Brylcreem, a glossy hair-styling product for men. But the sentiment could also apply to the hot new celebratory dance called The Dab, popularized by Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and currently sweeping through organized sports.

Alas, there's a growing sense that a little Dabbing goes a long way.

I attended an indoor soccer game at Camp Jordan in East Ridge one recent Saturday and the 12-year-old players there were Dabbing like crazy. In fact, they were over-Dabbing.

Indoor soccer is a fast-paced game, and any goal celebration that involves hiding your eyes - even for a couple of seconds - can backfire. Time after time, the 12-year-olds would be Dabbing and simultaneously getting smoked on a counterattack.

Not only were the little guys Dabbing after they made goals, they were Dabbing when they sensed a teammate was about to score. They were Dabbing out of sheer jubilation and they were Dabbing out of boredom. Even during timeouts they were dabbling at Dabbing.

When the bond between Dabbing and actual celebration is broken, it just starts looking dumb - like somebody in the checkout line at Wal-Mart randomly fishing for low-fives.

Come to think of it, there are other sports where hiding your eyes might not be a good idea. For instance, qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway, target shooting or downhill skiing. On the other hand, places I'd like to see more Dabbing include chess matches and synchronized swimming. Women figure skaters have been quietly Dabbing during their spins moves in "Swan Lake" for years.

If you've been hiding under a rock for the past six months, the Dab is a dance that was originated by Atlanta rap artists and looks like people sneezing directly into their arms. The more artistic Dabbers tend to throw in an abrupt little head-bob, which just enhances the sneeze effect.

photo Mark Kennedy

View other columns by Mark Kennedy

I suffer from hay fever, and I have been catching sneezes with my arms my entire life. My record for consecutive Dabs is 15, which nearly caused me to asphyxiate myself and may have resulted in minor brain damage.

Sports Illustrated credits Cam Newton with turbo-charging the Dab fad in week 10 of the 2015 NFL season, when he used the Dab to celebrate a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Some of the Titans objected to Newton's eight-second celebration and fans complained, too. Sadly, Nashville has become a proving ground for opponents to try out celebration rituals. The Titans are a combined 5-27 over the last two seasons. Most Titans fans seen on camera Dabbing are actually crying into their arms.

Thankfully, dance fads are usually short-lived. Raise your hand if you remember, in reverse order, Gangnam Style, the Macarena, the Vogue, the YMCA and the Twist. Dab haters take heart: When is the last time you saw an NFL receiver catch a touchdown pass and immediately begin to walk like an Egyptian?

The Dab has the feeling of a string of firecrackers that is down to its last couple of pops. By the end of the football season, old white guys such as former Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer and Ohio State Coach Urban Meyer were doing the Dab. Once a fad becomes that unhip, it's running out of oxygen.

In the old days, celebration fads like the Dab would have never taken wing. Old-school NFL linebackers such as the Baltimore Ravens' Ray Lewis, the Chicago Bears' Mike Singletary and Pittsburgh Steelers' Jack Lambert would have nipped Dabbing in the bud. With one scowl these guys would have convinced opposing quarterbacks that they would live to regret Dabbing in their stadiums.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of their lives.

Mark Kennedy is a resident of Signal Mountain. His columns appear in the Times Free Press on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Contact him at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.

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