The taunting rule has been a polarizing point of contention in the NFL. Most recently, the Chicago Bears have been hit hard with this controversial rule. Linebacker Cassius Marsh almost had a game-sealing sack on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Week 9, but was taken back due to taunting. Afterwards, Marsh was fined nearly $6,000 dollars for the act.
Bears head coach Matt Nagy revealed his opinion about the taunting rule recently, and it's… confusing, to say the least. Here's what he had to say: (via Yahoo! Sports)
“People watch, and people want to see a little bit of respect and a little bit of doing things the right way. It doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, but there’s young kids right now that are watching games… I’m a firm believer in respect and just kids growing and watching and we have a huge platform as leaders. Players and coaches. Let’s understand what the rules are, let’d do it the right way.”
Taunting has been a contentious point in the NFL recently. While the Bears coach is right in saying that players should play the right way, that shouldn't take away from the fun players have in celebrating their plays. Many fans agree that Marsh's actions shouldn't have been called for taunting. It didn't look like a taunt: NBA players have done similar things without getting called for a taunting infraction.
Between this and one of the Bears coaches screaming at Marsh after his big play and celebration, it seems like the Bears coaching staff have made a clear decision on where they stand with taunting. Hopefully, this doesn't affect their linebacker's confidence in any form.
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