1a. It’s every coach’s worst nightmare*: Player A accuses Player B of being smelly. The next thing you know, Player B retaliates by gouging out Player A’s eyes and exploding one of his testicles.
I truly understand the motivation behind the early-season crackdown on taunting. It’s less “think about the children” and more trying to avoid a calibrated needling that will draw a flag-worthy retaliation. Or sparking the cheapshot and/or the brawl. But the problem—as is the problem with most personal fouls—is that the consequences are disproportionate, and the flags ultimately reward a team that did nothing to actually earn it.