The NFL has relaxed its celebration rules over the years, and I daresay the sport is better for it. Players can make SportsCenter highlights just by busting a move following a big play, and NFL star Camryn Bynum did just that. The Minnesota Vikings safety made a late-game interception for his team and used that moment to pay tribute to the recently retired Rachael "Raygun" Gunn.
Raygun has been in the news quite a bit since her viral breakdancing performance at the 2024 Olympic games that resulted in a lot of mocking and, by her admission, hate from across the web. However, there seemed to be nothing but love from Cam Bynum, who paid homage to the Australian after effectively winning a game for the Minnesota Vikings with a big interception in the game's final moments. Watch the play unfold below, which includes the celebration around eighteen seconds in:
MOOOOOOOOOOOOOVIE@cambeezy_📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/M22E4eU8aCNovember 10, 2024
Look at the form in that video. That seems to be the work of a man who has watched that viral performance and studied it at length. Doing the fish flop would've been plenty to go viral, but then to follow it up with the headstand and the kangaroo pose? That will be a legendary moment that goes down on his highlight reel, especially if the Minnesota Vikings make a playoff run later this season.
Some readers may refrain from laughing at the performance, especially after seeing how the mocking from others impacted Rachael Gunn. Fortunately, it seems this tribute has the Raygun seal of approval, as she shouted it out on her Instagram stories after it was sent her way:
Raygun might've been mocked at the Paris Olympic Games, but I think it's fair to say she's received a solid career boost since going viral for her dance moves as well. While she didn't join Olympians like Ilona Maher and Stephen Nedoroscik on Dancing with the Stars Season 33, she has made some appearances on reality television, and talk shows back in her homeland of Australia.
It's been evident that Raygun's been upset that the attention she's received has effectively kept her from being able to breakdance again competitively, but there may be an upside. I can't state this as a fact, but I would wager more people could recognize her than the actual gold medal winners of the men's and women's breakdancing competitions. I would also say that at least the current references to it don't seem as mean-spirited as they once were, and that's always nice.
Rachael Gunn may be done with competitive breakdancing, but I wouldn't be surprised if she popped up on a reality TV show in the United States before too long. My money is on The Masked Singer, though if she's looking for a nice payday, she may want to sidestep it as the Fox show apparently doesn't pay well. Either way, it's likely that people -- whether they be general fans or professional athletes -- won't forget her routine.
The NFL is dominating TV right now on Sundays, Mondays, and Thursdays, and that's not slowing down anytime soon. Tune in to see who may make the next viral celebration (and maybe even watch the game).