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Throughout the first two weeks of the 2021 season, the NFL has heavily enforced the new taunting penalty, sparking an interesting reaction from Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots.
It has quickly led to several instances where teams have been penalized. Many have voiced their displeasure with the rule, but Belichick has headed in the other direction with his sentiment.
Bill Belichick takes an interesting stance on the NFL's new taunting rule
During an appearance on the Greg Hill Show on WEEI on Monday, Belichick voiced that he believes there is no place for taunting in the NFL.
“In general, I don’t really think there’s a place for taunting in the game,” Belichick said via Patriots Wire. “I think that’s poor sportsmanship, and it leads to other things. It leads to retaliation. And then, where do you draw the line? I think the whole idea of the rule is to nip it in the bud and not let it get started. And I’m in favor of that.
“I think that we should go out there and compete and try to play good football and win the game on the field. I don’t think it’s about taunting and poor sportsmanship, that’s not really my idea of what good football is.”
Belichick’s viewpoint is rooted in players taking the approach of celebrating the team’s success rather than their own individual feat. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as it falls directly into what Belichick stood for throughout his entire Patriots tenure.
He’s always moved toward putting the team first beyond any individual’s accolades. He will acknowledge them but doesn’t stray away from the end goal of securing another Super Bowl win.
Belichick’s opinion isn’t shared by much of the league, as the new rule has led to several questionable calls. In a few of those instances, it’s been more of a frustrating reaction than a celebration.
In response to all the outpouring of negativity from fans, the NFLPA tweeted that they aren’t a fan of the rule either.
“Players are at the table, where we make our opinions known, and our recommendations heard, but we get a token vote,” NFLPA president JC Tretter said of the association, getting one representative on the 11-person competition committee.
“Still, we take the time to show up and take part in these discussions because ultimately, we are the ones playing the game; yet the NFL has the votes to push through whatever rule they want.”
If this trend continues into the 2021 season, the NFL may be forced to consider whether it should retain the penalty or remove it. Nonetheless, it doesn’t appear that Belichick will be pushing to remove the rule any time soon.
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