When Steven Pfahler jumped up after catching a pass in the first quarter of Saturday’s Montana football shootout with Eastern Washington and signaled a first down, he drew a flag. So did wide receiver Aaron Boyce when he visibly slowed down on his way to the end zone with a touchdown reception.

Did either one deserve it? According to the NCAA football rule book, they both did.

Problem is, the NCAA has never been very good at enforcing rules once they go into the rulebook, at least when it comes to taunting and at least not on a consistent basis.

While the NCAA’s football rule book doesn’t specifically mention signaling a first down as an unsportsmanlike, I have seen it called before. I think it falls under the category of “Any delayed, excessive, prolonged or choreographed act by which a player (or players) attempts to focus attention upon himself (or themselves). I just can’t remember when because it was so long ago.

The book does specifically deal with Boyce’s action, mentioning “obviously altering stride as an unopposed runner approaches the opponent’s goal line, or diving into the end zone when unopposed” as an unsportsmanlike act. That certainly has been flagged more consistently than signaling a first down.

Bottom line is, the NCAA seems to be concerned that enforcing its own rules might damage the “entertainment value” of college football. Unfortunately, football players of all ages are regularly exposed to such boorish behavior when watching National Football League games or many of the NCAA’s own “major college” games.

It’s unfortunate that NCAA officials don’t enforce these rules consistently. It’s just as unfortunate that football coaches don’t demand that they be enforced, or, as an alternative, take it upon themselves to deal with players who use the playing field as a place to showboat.

I have so much respect for players at all levels who just do their jobs and go back to the huddle. Unfortunately, as time goes by, more and more fans become acclimated to showboating by players as just part of the game. They couch it as “enthusiasm” when, in fact, it’s showboating.