The National Football League has come a long way since its early days and that’s not necessarily wrong. Rules nowadays protect quarterbacks more than ever, and that’s good even if some fans don’t seem to like it.
Then again, the league’s emphasis on taunting penalties for this season is just ridiculous. It’s dumb, it’s boring, and it makes all of us want to just turn off the TV and start working on our taxes or something.
That was in full display during last night’s Monday Night Football game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers, with refs calling perhaps the softest taunting penalties in the history of the game.
Chargers Star Joey Bosa Rips “Blind, Ridiculous” Referees Over Taunting Penalties
That’s why Chargers star Joey Bosa didn’t care about getting fined and put the referees on blast, calling them blind and that they have done a terrible job with those ridiculous penalties as of late:
“I didn’t even know they called the penalty on me because I was fuming. But, I mean, the refs are blind,” Bosa said, as quoted by The Athletic. “I’m sorry, but you’re blind. Like, open your eyes and do your job. It’s so bad. It’s unbelievable. … These guys have got to do a better job, because it’s been years of terrible, terrible missed calls left and right. It’s really pathetic, honestly.”
Raiders Coach Jon Gruden Agrees With Bosa
Raiders coach Jon Gruden seems to agree with Bosa. Gruden called out the referees over an incredibily dumb taunting call on Darren Waller for spiking the ball on the ground, not even toward a rival:
“I don’t understand the taunting. I hate taunting. I think it’s ridiculous,” Gruden told Pro Football Talk. “I think what happens after an interception or a touchdown, we allow these celebrations, I consider that taunting. I don’t understand what happened over there on the Chargers’ sideline. But the official made the call, we have to deal with it. We couldn’t get any momentum going. That didn’t help us.”
The referees and team owners pretty much want the players to be video game characters and not even celebrate after making a big play. Stop taking the fun away from the game and focus on things that really matter.
