During the August 15th preseason matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts, fourth-string RB Benny LeMay of the Colts exploded for a 14-yard run in the 3rd quarter of the game. After LeMay’s exciting run in which he moved multiple bodies on his way to a first down, he quickly got up and seemingly flexed in excitement towards the defender closest to him, while simultaneously walking away from the play. Immediately after, a referee threw his yellow flag in the air, and LeMay was hit with a taunting penalty, resulting in a 15-yard loss on the run and nullifying LeMay’s feat. This sequence in a preseason game caused quite the buzz on Twitter with criticism flowing in about the NFL’s crackdown on taunting penalties for the upcoming 2021 season. This made the term “No Fun League” start to trend due to the fact that this rule change takes away a minute but important part of football, which is expressing intense emotions in the heat of play.
Above is what NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero reported about how the NFL is going to implement the rule change for this season. Personally, I think there is a fine line that a player can walk when it comes to taunting, but what Benny LeMay expressed was nowhere near as flagrant as what should be considered a 15-yard penalty. The NFL should really only be calling overt taunting actions, such as the infamous Sean Murphy-Bunting taunt against Tyreek Hill in the SuperBowl this year. There are times when a player is actively taunting another player versus when a player gets extremely fired up for a big play, and they shouldn’t have their entire team punished for displaying that sort of emotion.
I thought a couple of really great points were made on the Pat McAffee show by Pat McAffee about this incident. Pat points out the hypocrisy of the league by talking about how the NFL didn’t allow touchdown celebrations from players, but then recently decided as a way to boost ratings to allow endzone celebrations of the highest degree. Now if your favorite team or player scores a touchdown, you can expect to see an elaborate dance routine that was probably worked on during an NFL practice! Juxtapose this to the new taunting rules, and it seems like the NFL is in limbo on how to control the players’ actions after a play. They encourage dancing and celebrating after hitting the pay dirt, yet discourage any other emotions on the field after big plays. It’s quite a confusing hill to stand on from the NFL’s perspective. Another point Pat McAffee makes is that it takes away from the game in a tactical manner. He recalled Bill Belicheck, who is famously unemotional, talking about how that display of emotion after a big play is demoralizing to the opponent, and gives one a mental edge. I found it surprising to say the least that Bill Belicheck of all people would have a positive stance on celebrating and showing emotions like this.
Being able to express all the work and sacrifice these NFL players make on the field through a display of emotion should be at the very least encouraged by the NFL. Instead, they insist on players keeping a level head during the intensity of a football game so as to not cost their teams precious yards in order to win the game. It seems like a disservice to the players overall and I hope that this new emphasis on taunting doesn’t go too far for players who are giving it their all. We’ve all seen how one play or action can change the outcome of a game or season, and the referees have the power to penalize your team even with the slightest of taunts. While I do not believe this will be a huge issue for the majority of the season, it is certainly something to keep your eyes on while watching football this year. We all love football and the emotions that come with it, and fans want to see that from their favorite players without having to worry about it having a negative impact towards the game.
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