President Obama made the following statement regarding his decision not to show dead body of Osama bin Laden to the public:
"I think that Americans and people around the world are glad that he is gone. But we don’t need to spike the football. And I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk."
By following the definition of the word, “spike the ball” by SportsDefinitions.com – "The quarterback throws the ball straight to the ground instantly after a snap" – I can vaguely guess what the president meant by the line, “We don’t need to spike the football.” But I would like to know exact meaning of this phrase. Can somebody put it in more forthright expression?
Best Answer
I think what he's referring to here is the act of a football player who achieves a touchdown, and thereupon having scored a goal, slams the ball into the ground as an ostentatious display of victory.
That's a "spike" and can draw a penalty for "excessive display of exuberance."