Alvin Kamara and Tyrann Mathieu rip into Giants co-owner for "corny" stance on taunting
NFL superstars Alvin Kamara and Tyrann Mathieu called out New York Giants president John Mara on Twitter after he said that the NFL's Competition Committee was "sick and tired of the talking" on the field.
The NFL instructed its officials to strictly enforce the taunting rules this upcoming season. Players who incur two taunting penalties in a game will be automatically ejected and fined or suspended depending on the severity of their transgression.
Mara welcomed the change and said:
“(The Competition Committee) gets kind of sick and tired of the talking that does go on from time to time on the field. We tried to balance the sportsmanship with allowing the players to have fun and there’s always a fine line there, but none of us like to see that. It’s just a question of whether you can have rules that can be enforced and without taking the fun out of the game too, but nobody wants to see a player taunting another player. I know, I certainly don’t. I think the rest of the members of the Competition Committee feel the same way, too.”
Fans and players have already gotten a glimpse of what to expect regarding taunting penalties during the first weekend of preseason games.
What did Kamara and Mathieu say about John Mara on Twitter?
Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu was among the first NFL players to react to Mara's comments, tweeting, "So shut up and play? Got it."
Mathieu's response references Fox News' Laura Ingraham's infamous remarks towards NBA superstar LeBron James.
In a segment on her show, Ingraham ripped into James after he criticized former United States President Donald Trump. The host said she wasn't interested in political advice from "someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball" and added that James should "shut up and dribble."
Ingraham received a lot of backlash for her tasteless segment about James, with many accusing her of being racist.
New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara responded to John Mara's comments by calling them "corny as hell."
Green Bay Packers safety Adrian Amos also responded to Mara's comments on Twitter. He jokingly wrote, "I blame that darn rap music," referencing what critics of the genre - usually elderly people - say when highlighting negative connotations associated with hip-hop/rap music.
Most NFL fans and players are already displeased with the league's new mandate for taunting penalties, and Mara's comments added more fuel to the fire.