I know it may seem like sour grapes to complain about what I’m about to complain about after the Giants’ monumental collapse at the end of the game, but I’m not a Giants fan at all and am actually of the opinion that they’re among the most obnoxiously showboating teams in the entire league and thus one of my least favorite. I also know the NFL is by far the most successful of all the professional sports leagues, and that they have very little incentive to change anything about the product they’re putting out there, unless, as with the recent crackdown on hits to the head, it’s a matter of the players’ safety. But I also know that if they have as much interest as they say they do in getting rid of the taunting that’s grown more and more ridiculous with each passing year, then DeSean Jackson’s 65-yard punt-return for a game-winning touchdown should have been called back.
Maybe I’m being too harsh, but no, actually, I’m not. When Jackson returned the punt, he had a very clear path directly into the end zone, and yet instead of going right in for the score, proceeded to run parallel to the goal line for almost the entire width of the field, holding the ball out for the Giants players to see. It was completely uncalled for—a blatant display of the poor sportsmanship that only leads to more displays just like it and exactly the kind of thing that’s currently got the NFL bearing more of a resemblance to the professional wrestling than ever before. The way I see it, throw a flag and call that shit back—replay 4th down. You could argue that taking points off the board is too drastic a measure, and that it’s just too subjective to leave up to the officials, but whatever—it’s probably less subjective than the stupid pass interference rules no one can ever figure out. And I bet if they decided to enforce something like this, it probably wouldn’t come up very much anymore anyway.
Uh………. he was running out the clock!!! – Ray Bourke!
Check that again, Mr. Bourke.
I think you’re being harsh. I think he was making double sure the clock was run out: he probably had a good sense that time was up, but 100 times out of 100 you make sure it’s out. It also doesn’t look to me like he’s BLATANTLY holding the ball out and taunting the Giants.
YOU ARE BITTER.
totally running out the clock. You can see him looking up to check the time. Although, I guess you could argue that’s Desean watching himself on the big screen…
Taunting = Theater. Without it, sports would be no different than Fantasy.
if he’s going to return a punt with 8 seconds left for the game winning touchdown he a) needs to make certain there’s no time left, which is what he was doing and b) should be entitled to do the jerk all he wants – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNXbvFpfM2U… – which is not what he was doing. quite your griping!
You should be more concerned with coach Caughlins lack of respect for his punters dignity and the way he reprimanded him for all the world to see, when it should have never come down to a rookie punter saving the defenses ass. As far as DeSean,in that situation I would have expected him to do some showboating, running out the clock was not poor sportsmanship, even if that’s how it appeared.
-also not a Giants fan -R
I don’t know how I’m the only one who’s seeing this — when the clock hits :00, he’s at the 23-24 yard line. You REALLY mean to tell me it took him 20+ yards and almost the ENTIRE width of the field to figure out time had run out?
Never thought I’d see the day an L Mag editor prefaced a moral judgment regarding professional sports with “The way I see it…” Fatherhood’s changed you, man. I barely even recognize you.