Trash talk limits hurt players and fans

Unnecessary rules are forcing emotion out of professional sports, much to the detriment of athletes and their faithful fans.

The NFL playoffs serve as a defining example of league officials assuming the roles of censors and czars, and thus making dynamic and outspoken players into robots.

Jovanna Tosello | Daily Trojan

Sunday’s matchup between the Jets and Patriots was the most-watched NFL divisional playoff game in history. And although the trash talk wasn’t the single biggest factor, it certainly added to the hype and buzz of the game.

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie had no problem ranting about Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady’s “classlessness” during the Pats’ victory in December. Jets coach Rex Ryan also added that “Brady thinks he studies more than he does.”

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker coyly struck back by making references to feet and toes 11 times during his eight-minute press conference last week, alluding to Ryan’s foot-fetish scandal.

The NFL, however, issued a statement early Saturday morning before two other rivals, the Ravens and the Steelers, faced off, warning teams and players to cut down on the badmouthing.

The statement followed a precedent the NBA set earlier this season.

This summer, NBA commissioner David Stern issued a memo to the referees to crack down on complaining. The association instituted specific rules, such as how many seconds a player’s arms can be held in the air, to determine guidelines for issuing technical fouls.

No longer can teams and players be publicly allowed to hate each other, or have a genuine reaction to a win or loss. Often the greatest games and the biggest upsets can be fueled by an adrenaline rush because of the increased emotion. But the emotion is now being regulated.

Many die-hard NBA fans point to the Lakers-Celtics rivalry in the ’80s as being the pinnacle of basketball history. They were two star-studded teams, led by two hyper-competitive leaders who wanted nothing more than to win.

These games had more fire and passion in one minute than many present NBA finals matchups, which have been tame because of NBA commissioner David Stern’s hard-line stance on exhibiting emotion. And truly, it’s hurting the game.

Fans want to know that the players care as much as they do about the result of the game. They want to see emotions ranging from elation to extreme disappointment.

Michael Jordan hugging his first NBA championship trophy and spilling tears of joy, Tiger Woods fist-pumping after a crucial putt, Tim Tebow crying after losing the BCS championship — these are all iconic images in sports history that fans will never forget.

Emotion is a fundamental part of sports, especially during the playoffs. But nothing the Jets and the Patriots did last week was malicious. It’s a storied rivalry, with two teams that just flat-out hate each other and want and need to win.

The buildup led to historic television ratings for the league, and the fire that both teams displayed during the game was fun for any football fan to watch.

Jets players and coaches ran around in joyous celebration after the victory. Jets receiver Braylon Edwards did a backflip, Ryan was running down the sidelines (an image that has been unfortunately ingrained into minds everywhere).

In modern sports, it’s rare to see that kind of celebration, even after a Super Bowl victory.

The week leading up to the Jets-Patriots face-off made it a more interesting game to watch than it already was. Every first down was crucial, every decision amplified. The stakes were raised.  And it was a game that resmbled why we love sports in the first place.

Cyrus Behzadi is a freshman majoring in communication. His column, “The Extra Point,” runs Wednesdays.