Dan Patrick Ridicules NFL’s Moral Compass for Banning Players from Taunting: Athletes Are ‘Not Raising My Children’

The “No Fun League” was trending earlier this week after the NFL sent memos to teams announcing their plan to ban players from taunting. Dan Patrick slammed the league on his Fox Sports Radio show, for implementing rules that no one is asking for.

“Football players are tough guys, right? They can take it,” Patrick said. “I know it’s supposed to be about the kids, but this is where parents play a role. I’m not looking at an athlete to raise my child.”

Professional athletes are often held to a higher moral standard than they signed up for. While some of them relish the position of being a role model, others have no interest.

“I am not a role model,” Charles Barkley infamously stated in a 1993 commercial for Nike. “I’m not paid to be a role model. I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court. Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”

Patrick’s stance on the NFL banning players from taunting echoes Barkley’s statement from nearly three decades ago. Players being a role model is an optional bonus, not a requirement.

“Do I hope they perform in a way that they would be a role model to somebody? Yes!” Patrick added. “But they’re not raising my children. When it comes to excessive taunting, I’m hopeful that as a parent, I can have a role and an opinion here.”

“Where did this come from?” Patrick asked. “I didn’t hear an outcry where people said ‘You know what? I’m tired of this. We gotta take taunting out of the game.’ The NFL reacts to what you want the NFL to react to.”

Four years ago, the NFL decided to relax its rules against player celebrations on the field, recognizing that those choreographed acts can appeal to a younger audience. While the ban on taunting won’t impact those celebration rules, it does remove some of the game’s excitement and personality.

Watch above via the Dan Patrick Show