Last Sunday, Buccaneers defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh drew a flag for taunting, even though he wasn’t taunting. The league office has agreed that he wasn’t taunting.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Suh wasn’t fined for the taunting foul that was called after he confronted Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who seemed to kick at Suh. Suh’s words seemed to be an objection to the apparent kick, not a taunt during or after a big play.
Although the powers-that-be opted to apply common sense to the situation, the outcome underscores the problem with the taunting rule and its application. Not every post-play interaction between players is a taunt.
It’s an emotional sport. While it’s reasonable to expect players to shut off the physical manifestation of those emotions at the whistle, it’s unrealistic to expect players to behave like robots with their batteries removed between whistle and snap.
Hopefully, the decision not to fine Suh becomes an implicit concession by the league that the current approach doesn’t work. Maybe the league will reconsider the current taunting rules and fashion something more realistic for 2022.
