If you happened to watch the dreadful matchup between the Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, you might have noticed an odd touchdown celebration.
When running back D’Onta Foreman found the end zone for Chicago in the first quarter, he and fullback Khari Blasingame got into it with a mock slapfight. The two Bears players seemingly went all out, flailing their arms about before Foreman “flipped” Blasingame as if they were in a ring of some sort together.
NFL players rip out seemingly bizarre and very elaborate touchdown celebrations all the time, so, at first, it was easy to overlook what Foreman and Blasingame did here:
D'Onta Foreman and Khari Blasingame after Foreman TD.pic.twitter.com/GZv2ROkjaO
— ✶Ⓜ️𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕦𝕤 ▶️ ✶ (@_MarcusD3_) October 22, 2023
As it turns out, Foreman and Blasingame might have ripped this celebration from recent viral “slap-fighting” videos on Twitter. They feature shirtless men in shorts going all out with almost exaggerated slapping motions in small sand arenas in the popular Indian contact sport of Kabbadi:
The guy in red short with black stripe is the Messi of this game😊
— Wow Videos (@ViralXfun) October 19, 2023
Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren alluded to this possibility when he caught wind of Foreman and Blasingame’s celebration:
Real ones knew what they doin right away😂 https://t.co/qNZNFhfUid
— chet holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) October 22, 2023
If that is indeed where Foreman and Blasingame got the idea, there’s only one remaining conclusion — they spend way too much time online. They’re just like us!
This was how Twitter reacted
These boys be up late at night on twitter just like us 😂😭😂😂 https://t.co/DINnzOOD7a
— Coach Pru (@TheBkellSHOW_) October 22, 2023
The beauty of sports is that it can often be a beautiful display of cultural appreciation and exchange. https://t.co/IU7iOHF39g
— Justin Catchens (@JayCatch) October 22, 2023
🤣🤣🤣 pro athletes be on Twitter just like the rest of us https://t.co/HNU6mypNVA
— Banks (@CarlosBanko) October 22, 2023
Lmaoo I know exactly which video this came from🤣🤣 https://t.co/hQL5ZZGYG1
— jefe 🕊 (@jake_royal2) October 22, 2023
That’s actually a sport in India
Slapping each other the chest
I’d love to see it live https://t.co/utNF2DMtVw
— omo odun (@lasgidikingin) October 23, 2023
😂😂 he be on Twitter watching like it’s a film session. https://t.co/8vI24jptOc
— CeeJ (@wholesomeBhris) October 22, 2023
This is hysterical!! https://t.co/mUM0EXhHG0
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) October 23, 2023
As a Raider fan, I was both appalled and entertained 🤣 https://t.co/Wt3TO9AYom
— Harold Allen (@rocksteady_1906) October 23, 2023
a kabbadi celebration in the NFL rules https://t.co/doN7xDmWwr
— Tyler “The Big Aristotle” Jacobs (@tylrjcbs) October 22, 2023
