It turns out the entirely classless touchdown celebration enacted by Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin in front of an audience of millions upon millions of people during Super Bowl XLIX - depicted above - was, in fact, aimed at New England Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis.
Why?
For the simple reason that Baldwin had thought about his matchup with the All-Pro corner a lot in the week leading up to the game and couldn't control himself after catching a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Russell Wilson.
"I spent a lot of time those two weeks prior to getting ready for that game just focused on my individual matchup with him and I put a lot into it, and in that moment, I guess you could say it was just kind of a built-up frustration I was letting out in that sequence, you know, between him and I," Baldwin revealed recently while appearing on 710 ESPN Seattle's The Barbershop, per ESPN.
"Obviously there was competitive stuff going on in that game, and in that moment, I just let out what I felt personally."
What he felt personally was squatting down and pretending to sit on the toilet, producing the ball at the end for added effect. NBC's broadcast crew cut away from the receiver as he was in the midst of his celebration.
Baldwin apologized for the act, as it earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty along with a 15-yard flag and an $11,025 fine from the NFL.
"I do regret the fact that it cost my team 15 yards, and to the fans, ultimately I apologize to anybody I offended in any way," Baldwin said. "It wasn't about that. I just think it was a competitive situation. So to all the 12s, all the fans, that's not what it's about. So I apologize to anyone if I offended you."
Revis managed to keep Baldwin from nabbing any other receptions in the game, so his brainless celebration may have been born as much of jubilance at momentarily escaping the frustratingly stifling coverage Revis was applying as it was anything else.
In the end though, Revis and the Pats got the last laugh and Baldwin, with hindsight, is now sorry - in more ways than one.
"In that moment, it was just a reaction," he added later. "So obviously if I could go back, I would take it back."
