The NFL’s awful taunting rules are likely going to ruin some games this year

The NFL already has had an embarrassingly bad taunting call this year.

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The NFL is going to have a big mess – and likely multiple messes – on its hands this year and it’s going to have nobody to blame but itself.

I’m talking, of course, about the taunting rules that aren’t new but are going to be more enforced this season because apparently the league is going back to being the No Fun League.

We learned about this message from the league of being more aggressive with the calls last week and then just days later, in the very first weekend of a full slate of preseason games, we saw an absolutely terrible taunting call that in no way should have been made.

Colts fourth-string running back Benny LeMay, who is fighting for a job, carried a pile of Carolina Panthers defenders 10 yards before finally being pulled down. He then got up, said a quick thing to a defender who was on the ground and then flipped the ball to the ref, who was busy flinging a flag in the air.

I mean, look at this:

That’s absolutely terrible and fans were right to crush the refs and the league over it. Players need to be able to show emotions after big plays, especially in a game that is so intense and dangerous.

Flags like that are incredibly stupid and I have to think if they keep this up during the regular season there are going to be bad calls like that one that are going to affect the outcome of games and leave fans going crazy, which won’t be a good look from the NFL.

You just know there is going to a taunting call after a huge play late in a game that has everyone yelling after the game and then all day Monday. We’ve watched this game too long not to know that something stupid like that is going to happen.

NFL refs already have one of the more difficult jobs in sports. It’s a fast and furious game that is only becoming more difficult to officiate. Now they have to judge when they think an emotional player is being a little too excited at the expense of an opponent and penalize them for it?

Good luck with that.

The NFL needs to just get out of its own way and allow things to roll on the way they have for years. Players can handle it and fans enjoy seeing some celebrations that are directed at opponents. It’s all really harmless stuff.

But this is the NFL and it loves getting in its own way so expect some really bad moments like the one we saw Sunday to happen throughout the season, but those moments are going to happen in games that count and it’s going to lead to an absolute mess for the league.

Ugh.

Quick hits: Tim Tebow’s terrible blocks… Great father-son moment in historic MLB game… PGA Tour player’s inspiring teary interview… And more. 

(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

– Tim Tebow made his Jaguars debut Saturday night and went viral for two terrible blocks. First there was this lame attempt that fans mocked and then there was this one that was even worse. Yikes.

– Diamondbacks pitcher Tyler Gilbert threw a no-hitter in his MLB debut Saturday night and his dad, who was in the stands, had the best reaction.

– PGA Tour player Chesson Hadley’s teary interview after Sunday’s very important round was so good.

– 49ers rookie QB Trey Lance had Jimmy Garoppolo and NFL fans in awe of his 80-yard TD pass in his NFL debut Saturday night.

– Speaking of rookie QBs, Zach Wilson gave Jets fans reason to be excited with three very good throws in his debut.

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