The topic of ridicule is back on the menu. On Sunday, it was Zay Flowers’ turn when the Ravens receiver was flagged for taunting Chiefs DB Rajarius Sneed in the second half.
And yes, let me be 100 percent clear, this is completely derisive by the letter of the law.
The problem is that this law is crap. This rule is inherently flawed. It’s been a problem since the beginning, and now it’s just a nuisance. The exact definition of “provocation” according to the NFL rulebook is:
“Use baiting or provocative acts or words that may cause ill will between teams.”
There is no doubt that pushing a player down while biting him with his jaw as he tries to stand up is a truly provocative act. But the NFL’s rules are so lax that you could definitely argue that Travis Kelce’s pointing downfield after every first down also falls under the definition of provocation.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Is Kelce reacting to this? yes. Is he mocking the opposition for not stopping them? absolutely. Is this supposed to be wrong? No, no. Players around the league have no problem with heckling either side. Because it’s in the DNA of football itself.
When I was playing in the schoolyard, I got heckled. Throwing a ball on the beach is a provocation. You scoff when you get a little carried away with Thanksgiving and stiffen Uncle Clarence’s arm into oblivion, tearing his argyle sweater in the process. Some of the great athletes of our time understood the psychological power of provocation. Larry Bird and Michael Jordan said something so sticky that it would make the average person cry. Deion Sanders leapt like a gazelle to the end zone, mocking his opponents along the way. Heck, even in baseball, as God intended, bat flips are allowed to settle between players — which is why we’re adamantly “Team Barrow” in this derisive debate.
Let’s challenge everyone.
The argument against provocation seems to be rooted in selective pearl-grabbing. Children watching professional athletes mock each other will have their lives irrevocably affected in some way. On Sunday, he taught kids watching the NFL through ads that they need fast food to watch football, that beer makes game day better, and how gambling makes sports exciting. Never mind the fact that you are explicitly told that it is.
the completely It’s okay to teach your children that unhealthy food, alcohol, and gambling are good for you. Unless you see an athlete give in to someone after a big loss.
If anything, we believe that need Exposing young people to the pros and cons of ridicule. Hey, that’s what we got on Sunday. Flowers taunted Snead, but then Snead smashed the ball across the goal line, sealing the Ravens’ fate.It was the ultimate comeback, and you have to think about it if Snead hadn’t left. It’s very difficultHad made that particular play If only he hadn’t been flexible 30 minutes earlier. It’s the epitome of action with consequences, and a lesson we can actually share. Sure, go ahead and mock the other person — but don’t cry later when it turns out bad for you.
In fact, the NFL has always felt the need to crack down on this issue. Is the most violent sport on earth, where gladiators collide with each other with the force of traffic accidents, not enough to “breed malice” and point fingers after play? That, buddy, is where we draw the line.
You don’t have to like provocation to accept that personal battles like this serve as a subplot to the match and that it makes football better. It establishes individuality in a league that strives for homogeneity. That gives us more heroes, more villains, more investment. Get the referee out of the game…
Let’s challenge everyone.
