'John Mara is speaking for older white people': Skip Bayless speaks out on NFL's new taunting rule
Fox Sports host Skip Bayless has explained why he believes New York Giants owner John Mara recently spoke out about taunting in the NFL. The outspoken and often controversial Bayless discussed the topic on his show “Undisputed” with his co-host, NFL great Shannon Sharpe, on Thursday.
After Sharpe questioned who Mara was talking about when he said “We get sick and tired of the taunting,” Bayless gave his interpretation of the Giants owner's comments.
“I’ll say it, John Mara is speaking mostly for older white people, that’s what he is doing. Maybe he’s lost some of these customers.”
Bayless then explained how his generation had grown up differently.
“I grew up being taught that mindset. It’s sportsmanship, it’s honor thy opponent, it's hand the ball to the official when you score. There’s no chest beating, there’s no backflipping and there’s no entertainment,” Bayless said.
The sports talk show host then proposed that the Giants owner talk to some kids about their thoughts on taunting in the NFL.
“I dare John Mara to poll kids today and ask if they like what they’re seeing? And yes they love it. They don’t want it to go away.”
Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe followed up Skip’s comments by asking, "Who has a problem with taunting in the league today?"
“No one is saying there is too much taunting going on, John, stop that,” Sharpe exclaimed.
John Mara calls out taunting in the NFL
New York Giants owner John Mara spoke to the media last Tuesday about his thoughts on the league implementing harsher penalties for taunting this season.
“That’s something we discuss every year in the competition committee,” Mara said. “We get kind of sick and tired of the taunting 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.”
Mara’s views garnered a swift reaction on social media by some of the NFL’s biggest stars.
Both Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu and New Orleans Saints star running back Alvin Kamara responded to Mara's comments on Twitter. Mathieu's comment has since been deleted.
This development is going to be one worth keeping an eye on when the 2021 NFL regular season kicks off on September 9.