Joe Burrow eager to bring back Randy Moss’ most controversial ‘fake moon’ touchdown celebration this season

Randy Moss made the iconic 'Fake Moon' celebration in the 2005 Wild Card Round game against the Packers.

Joe Burrow eager to bring back Randy Moss’ most controversial ‘fake moon’ touchdown celebration this season

Joe Burrow is eager to re-create the 'Fake Moon' celebration (via IMAGO)

How do athletes commemorate their achievements? Well, in the NFL, they do so through means of unique and creative celebrations. Over the years, fans have been witness to some pretty iconic celebrations. Some instances are Rob Gronkowski’s spike, Deion Sander’s shuffle as he walked off to the endzone, and Randy Moss’ infamous fake moon at Lambeau Field.

It is a celebration that nobody can forget. It was the Wild Card playoff game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers and Randy Moss showed up, having taken his shot of confidence booster.

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It was quite the game that the wideout was having, and it was only fair that he celebrated his second touchdown of the game in a manner that would be remembered for years to come. After scoring the ball, Moss faked mooning the crowd, a pretty dirty gesture wherein he was seen pretending to take his bottoms off and flashing his rear end to the home crowd.

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While it has been a long time since Randy Moss did that celebration, one quarterback from the modern era is hoping to bring that back. That is none other than Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals. The quarterback recently went on the Pardon My Take podcast with Barstool Sports and one of the things that were discussed was Moss’ celebration.

While the hosts were discussing some of the greatest celebrations in football, they had to bring up Randy’s ‘Fake Moon’ celebration up there. While the hosts were quick to describe it as ‘disgusting’ and distasteful, Burrow thought otherwise. The quarterback said something that frankly, none of the fans would have seen coming. 

If I get a rushing touchdown this year, I might bring back the fake moon. It's gotta be on the road though...
Joe Burrow said

First of all, the original fake moon can never be forgotten and if Joe Burrow intends to hold good onto that promise, all that is left is for fans to pray that he scores a rushing touchdown in an away game.

Randy Moss admits regretting doing the ‘Fake Moon’ celebration to this day

Not many football fans remember the 2005 Wild Card round between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. The only highlight that they can remember is the celebration. Ultimately, the game ended up favoring the Vikings who won it all with a 31-17 score.

Jan. 9, 2005; Green Bay, WI USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss taunts the crowd at Lambeau Field after his fourth quarter touchdown catch in the Vikings 31-17 playoff win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field (Via Imago)
Jan. 9, 2005; Green Bay, WI USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss taunts the crowd at Lambeau Field after his fourth quarter touchdown catch in the Vikings 31-17 playoff win over the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field (Via Imago)

Moss revealed the story behind the iconic celebration decades later, he admitted that as he had missed the first matchup between the two teams during the regular season owing to a hamstring injury when he went there to play at Lambeau Field in the postseason, the fanbase there was sure to attempt to get into his head. There were numerous cards with the title “Where you at. Moss?” placards throughout the crowd at the games he had missed in the regular season.

So Randy Moss made sure to keep a note of the receipts and he never forgot them. Which is why he went above and beyond to stick it to the fans at Lambeau Field in the postseason.

Joe Burrow might seriously be considering adopting this celebration, but he has a bigger problem, the NFL. In today’s game, if he were to celebrate in this manner, the referees are likely to reign in on his party and penalize him for taunting. As a fan, the hope is that Burrow genuinely brings the ‘fake moon’ back, but as a realist, it is probably unlikely that the celebration would ever be brought back.

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