Prospector Sam - In Defense of "Taunting"

Time to get my hands dirty folks. Real fucking dirty. Between the flashy heading and argument I’m about to get into, this article probably won’t win me a lot of adoring fans in certain circles, but I go into it with clear eyes. In fact, I’m probably going to ruffle more feathers than it’s worth, relatively speaking. But, while I normally refrain from genuine controversy and real world issues, I think there’s a time to push back when the pendulum has swung too far.

The impetus for this article is actually very specific, unlike most of my work. News recently came out that the Big12 was planning to cut back on taunting, with a specific directive to stop players from using the “Horns Down” symbol. For those of you who aren’t aware, the symbol is a shot at the University of Texas whose mascot is the Longhorns and whose fans use the “Hook ‘em Horns” hand gesture as a show of support. Yes, we’ve made it to the point in society where the use of non-offensive hand gestures is a controversy.

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Now, let me make one thing very clear right off the bat. I’m not here to advocate for all types of taunting. We don’t need to go back to a world where anything is fair game and people are told to suck it up if they don’t like something extremely offensive or downright unacceptable (i.e. racism). So don’t go painting this article or me with a broad brush of antiquated ideas. What I’m here to advocate for is what I’ll call “appropriate taunting” (and, honestly, taunting may not even be the right word).

What is appropriate taunting? Well, no definition is ever going to be perfect, but I’ll describe it as actions or words that are insulting to your opponent but within the bounds of decency. Shouting racial slurs or flipping people off, not acceptable. Standing over some poor soul who you just dunked on to further show your superiority, absolutely acceptable. Basically, the idea is that taunting is a natural part of sports and trying to completely censor it takes the fun and competitive spirit out of the game.

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To those who say “you can be happy about winning without putting down people who lose,” I say hogwash (a word a go out of my way to say whenever I can). Sure, the desire to win is a HUGE part of sports, but it can’t possibly be everything. Why do I say that with such authority? Well, why would rivalries exist otherwise? Everyone wants to win, but we also want to specifically beat other people too. Oklahoma gets extra pride out of beating Texas in football, and part of that comes from the fact that they want to defeat their rival, not just wanting to win an important game.

Superiority is also one of the spoils that come with the victory. When a baseball player smashes a 500 foot homerun, flipping their bat and trotting the bases is something you’ve earned by succeeding, not just a desire to rub someone else’s loss in their face. If the counterparty doesn’t like it, well, as the common trope goes, don’t let it happen next time.

So why take away something that makes sports more fun? The ability to hold a victory over your coworker who follows a rival team is one of the best parts about being a fan. We all enjoy it off the field, and there’s no reason why players shouldnt be able to enjoy that feeling on the field as well. The idea that athletes should pretend not to care about beating their opponent is just plain silly, and takes some of the passion out of the game (both for them and for the fans watching). I want to see Emmanuel Adebayor run across the pitch after scoring to gloat in front of his former club’s fans, because it shows he cares and reflects the excitement we all feel in that moment (if you haven’t seen it, go look it up). 

On a broader level, it’s just time to stop pretending that sports need to mirror real life. Do I expect people to be courteous in an everyday setting? Of course. The woman who beats me to a parking spot shouldn’t be getting out of her car and laughing in my face like a jerk. But sports aren’t real life. They are, by definition, a competition where somebody wins and somebody loses. While that doesn’t give the winner the right to ruthlessly embarrass their opponent, it gives the winner the ability to show that they’re excited about beating them. 

So enough with taking all the fun out of the game. Let rivals be rivals, and let winners be winners. That doesn’t mean allowing classless behavior, but it does mean, for example, that Baker Mayfield shouldn’t have to apologize for planting an Oklahoma flag in the Ohio State field after a big win. Sports are about winning, and athletes shouldn’t have to pretend that they don’t feel like they’ve achieved success to protect someone else’s feelings. At the end of the day sports are meant to be fun, and taking away that part of the game limits some of the fun that athletes and fans are allowed to have. So let’s bring back some “acceptable taunting” and enjoy it as part of the game, because we’re lying to ourselves if we say that it isn’t.

Agree? Disagree? Want to tell me how much you love me? Go find @Prospector_Sam on Twitter and drop a line!