NFL player flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct — for hugging a ref

This take the whole “No Fun League” thing to a new level.

In Sunday’s game between the New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks, Seahawks safety Earl Thomas recovered a fumble and ran it back 34 yards for a touchdown. He then raced over to the wall behind the end zone and tossed the football to a fan. After that, he ran over to a referee and, in what we can only assume was a gesture of goodwill or charity, gave him a hug.

The referee then tossed a yellow flag, assessing Thomas a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. And if past actions are any precedent, Thomas will also be slapped with a fine.

The NFL has been cracking down on post-touchdown celebrations this season. Through Week 7, the league has handed out 22 taunting penalties, double the number through the same number of games two years ago, according to the Associated Press. And in a video sent out to every team, Dean Blandino, the NFL’s senior vice president for officiating, laid out the rules. No choreography. No twerking. No violent gestures or anything that mimics a weapon. No using the ball itself for anything, other than simply handing it to an official.

This point of emphasis, as Blandino called it, is not to “legislate emotion out of the game,” but instead to make sure players demonstrate good sportsmanship and are safe.

But the way it has been enforced has been roundly criticized by NFL players for being unnecessarily strict, especially at a time when the league has been dealing with far more serious issues, such as domestic abuse.

“We talk about, we want to grow the business of the NFL and revenues,” New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall told the AP. “We see growth from 10 billion to 20 billion (dollars) by the end of 2022. We need more of that. We need guys to come out of the box. We need Antonio Brown twerking in the end zone. Kids shouldn’t be fined for that. Guys should go out there and wear colorful cleats. That’s our culture right now. This is this new era, this hip-hop and lifestyle era. We need to embrace that. You can’t just put guys in a box.”

The league has also cracked down on what players wear on the field, threatening to eject those who wear non-regulation cleats or sweatbands.

But the crowning irony of Thomas’s penalty was a comment Blandino seemingly made in jest in the video sent to teams.

“Hugs are always legal,” he said.

Apparently not.

This story was originally published October 30, 2016 at 3:58 PM with the headline "NFL player flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct — for hugging a ref."