Should athletes be punished for taunting?

Happening maybe once or twice in a career, I don’t think referees should care whether or not a player celebrates in the end zone, after recovering a fumble, or intercepting a ball and running it back for a touchdown.

I see penalties as a form of punishment for those who break the rules and keep the sport from being conducted fairly.

A penalty is deserved when a player does something that might cause opposing players harm, or if they do something that causes an unfair advantage.

Recently a running back from Tumwater High School got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for praying to God. After a 23-yard touchdown run, he quickly kneeled down and pointed to the sky.

The ref’s excuse was he shouldn’t draw attention to himself, as if running 23 yards and scoring a touchdown in a semi-final game isn’t enough to gather a few head turns.

A change needs to take place for the sake of entertainment, and for the sake of the players.

Let’s be honest, I know taunting is “unsportsmanlike conduct”, but how is praying?

The rule should go away all together, because you can’t say that some things are okay, while others are not. Athletes know that winning, losing, and taunting are all part of the game they love.

Whether an athlete chooses to provoke another athlete is all up to them, but despite their choice, I don’t think there should be a rule denying a player from expressing their happiness the way they choose.

Taunting is an expression of dominance and a technique for prolonging it. It’s a part of sports, and every athlete knows that.

Why not let taunting and celebration in general be a part of every athlete’s game strategy?