I’ll concede the officials at the Washington-BYU game got the call right Saturday when they flagged Washington quarterback Jake Locker for “excessive celebration” for spontaneously throwing the ball in the air after scoring a touchdown with 2 seconds left and his team down by seven points. The Huskies were pushed back 15 yards for the game-tying extra point, which was blocked.

The call was right.

The rule is idiotic.

“It’s one that they almost have to call,” coach Tyrone Willingham said. “It really should be a no-call, but it’s one they have to call when they see it.”Whatever committee came up with this moronic interpretation of the “excessive celebration” rule should be disbanded immediately, its members sentenced to spending the rest of their lives locked in a library and watching re-runs of Masterpiece Theater. Football is emotional, in case that committee hadn’t noticed, and to punish a kid for making a good play at the end of the game is just flat wrong.

“After scoring the touchdown, the player threw the ball into the air and we are required, by rule, to assess a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty,” referee Larry Farina said in a statement afterward. “It is a celebration rule that we are required to call. It was not a judgment call.”

Even Washington Coach Ty Willingham sort-of agreed.

“It’s one that they almost have to call,” he said. “It really should be a no-call, but it’s one they have to call when they see it.”

Everyone knows what this rule is designed to do - cut down on NFL-like celebrations, and I’m OK with that. But spontaneous joy? They want to cut that out, too?

The goobs are winning, folks.

They’re winning.