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Steelers add somersaults into the end zone to their list of banned activities

Pittsburgh Steelers: No pool, ping-pong, shuffleboard or somersaulting allowed. Word is still out on cartwheels, video games and chewing gum.

By Neal Coolong
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
It's an understandable declaration, but one that's open to playful pokes of fun at Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

Coach Fun Hater.

The Steelers recently banned players who weren't on their Super Bowl teams from playing pool, ping-pong and shuffleboard in their locker room. The tables were gifts to the team as rewards for their Super Bowl teams in the 2000s.

Not surprisingly long after that declaration from the Steelers' veterans, Tomlin banned the entire team from using them, considering the team's 0-4 start.

Now, according to Tomlin, no one will be allowed to somersault into the end zone upon scoring a touchdown (to be fair, he is outlawing it to prevent injuries, which is a reasonable point). Emmanuel Sanders flipped into the end zone, capping off a 55-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh's win over the Jets. Rookie running back Le'Veon Bell flipped into the end zone after scoring against Minnesota in Week 4.

Sanders' flip definitely had more height and hangtime, but credit Bell with being the first to do it this year - the flip as well as the first rushing touchdown. Sanders scored his first of the year, and the beauty of it gives him something of a pass.

As long as he's not lining up the 8-ball into the corner pocket, or going the aerial route over the goal line, Tomlin has to be pleased with the play of his team in the win against the Jets.

And if they beat Baltimore in Week 7, he'll need to find something else to take away prior to their Week 8 game against Oakland.

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