Before the NFL outrage of the week consisted of the bullying/harassment mess that is going on in Miami, the focus was on taunting during touchdowns and whether or not the NFL will rule to make that penalty one which will nullify the touchdown. Currently, it’s a dead-ball foul and the penalty is enforced on the next play, which would be the kickoff. The NCAA has a rule that nullifies the touchdown and places the ball at the spot of the foul. Does that belong in the NFL as well?
The outrage was sparked during the Monday Night Football game between Seattle and St. Louis. Seahawk’s WR Golden Tate broke free for an 80-yard touchdown where he held the ball out pointing towards Rams S Rodney McLeod all the way into the end-zone. Tate was flagged for taunting and the penalty was enforced for 15 yards on the ensuing kickoff. Then the NFL head of officiating, Dean Blandino, commented on the play and whether or not it could result in a harsher penalty in the future.
"“A lot of people felt that the touchdown shouldn’t have counted [but] a taunting foul is always treated as a dead-ball foul, meaning whatever happened during the play counts, and the foul is enforced on the next play, which would be the kickoff. In college, this action would take back the touchdown. Tate started taunting at the 25-yard line. The college rule, that’s enforced at the spot of the foul, so they’d go from a touchdown to first-and-10 at the 40, which would be a gigantic penalty. The NFL rule, it’s a dead-ball foul, it’s enforced on the kickoff. But I’m sure that’s something that the Competition Committee will look at in the offseason.” – Dean Blandino, NFL head of officiating"
Is taunting that really big of an issue in professional football that you’d need to nullify touchdowns to curb it? I don’t think so. How many times do you see a play like Tate’s in a season? Once? Twice? Does it really necessitate a rule change to that degree? I realize that no one likes an a-hole but to nullify a score based on the immature actions of one player that didn’t involve harming anyone else is rather ridiculous if you ask me. Tate apologized following the game as did Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
"“That is not the way we want to play. That is not who we are. He is more mature than that. He is a playful, spirited guy who had too much fun at the wrong time. It was not the right thing to do and he knew it.” – Pete Carroll"
Isn’t that what the NFL would be saying if they ruled to make taunting a live-ball penalty? That players shouldn’t have too much fun scoring? It’s bad enough that they warned against celebrations but to take it to the degree of changing a touchdown is crossing a line that professional sports shouldn’t cross.
Earlier this season Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin banned “end-zone” flips for the team after WR Emmanuel Sanders flipped into the end-zone on a 55-yard touchdown on what then turned into the Steelers’ first victory of the season. Tomlin’s reason for the ban; “There is a potential for injury. That simple.” Sure sounds a bit kill-joyish but understandable when you realize how dumb a player would look if they really did injure themselves flipping into the end-zone. You don’t really want to do something in the end-zone that could make sure you never end up back there for the rest of the season, do you?
There will always be more supporters of the “act like you’ve been there” approach to scoring and winning in the NFL than there will the show-boaters and glory-hogs. But that doesn’t mean you reprimand the show-boaters until it’s not even fun anymore. The NFL doesn’t need to police taunters like it’s a wide-spread epidemic across the league. It certainly doesn’t need to change the potential outcomes of games by nullifying scores. If the other team doesn’t want to be taunted, don’t let the offense score.
Makes you want to pay a little more attention to what the NFL Competition Committee rules over this spring unlike how we were all surprised about that pushing a teammate during a field goal try huh?