High-Step Showboat Crap

[TychoBrahe]

Xerxes you are correct. Ferentz told Wadley he is too good of a player to behave like that--per the press conference.

Wadley has been doing this ever since he was a Hawkeye, even during his NW highlight sequence in Kinnick during the game you saw him showboat into the end zone during that game. No, what he did today wasn't that egregious, not a flip into the end zone or a rugby-style leap over the line, or a holding out of the ball in a defender's face.

But c'mon, it was obvious: he slowed appreciably in side the 10, high-stepped a few steps starting at about the 6 yd line, and that's all it took to get the flag. And since he was in the field of play, it was a spot foul.

I'm sure the refs saw film on him from past games at some point, and this is something he does, and has done, multiple times. Often he acts like a sprinter breaking the tape at the finish line--that's what I've seen him do most. But really, don't blame the ref, blame Wadley! This was a personal foul waiting to happen. It was inevitable. It was going to happen if he kept it up. And today--deserved or not, compared to others--it happened, and it took a TD away. Yes, maybe it's a dumb rule to some (not to me--I value sportsmanship at the amateur level more than most), but there are lots of dumb rules in football but they must be followed (Really--isn't accidental targeting dumb if it's entirely unintentional? Yet people get DQ'd from that all the time). Anyway, this was bound to happen given how Wadley celebrates TD's, and it did happen, and I'm just glad it didn't affect the result in the end, and Wadley likely learned his lesson pretty painlessly, and now we can all move on.

 

[Bigtenchamp]

Xerxes you are correct. Ferentz told Wadley he is too good of a player to behave like that--per the press conference.

That's not all he said.. nice try. He also said he was confused why other things haven't been called and kind of hedged on if he really thought it was penalty worthy.

He was miffed it was a penalty.. but you could tell he didn't really agree with it.

 

[HAWKEY3]

I tried to look into this since I thought it was a total bullshit call. I found an article from Sports Illustrated from 2010 that specifically calls out high stepping (the rule specifically mentions "alteration of stride").

Still a bullshit call, but it seems that this has been known for some time. Whether it is called consistently is a whole different conversation:

https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/08/11/taunting-penalty

 

[Bigtenchamp]

I tried to look into this since I thought it was a total bullshit call. I found an article from Sports Illustrated from 2010 that specifically calls out high stepping (the rule specifically mentions "alteration of stride").

Still a bullshit call, but it seems that this has been known for some time. Whether it is called consistently is a whole different conversation:

https://www.si.com/more-sports/2010/08/11/taunting-penalty

Yeah I found that also.. but I can never remember seeing it called.

 

[HAWKEY3]

Yeah I found that also.. but I can never remember seeing it called.

Neither can I -- nor could I find articles about specific examples of a TD being taken off the board as a result like what happened today.

 

[mopkins]

I just don't get it. You can jump into your teammates after you score, you can dive over the goaline, you can drop the ball but not spike it. It's all just so inconsistent.

Tonight I watched a wide open Clemson player break the goaline by lunging and doing this airplane thing with his arms out...no call.

 

[judzeehawk]

I hope AW is ok. Looking for some more 75 yard TD's. I'll never hold it against him.

 

[tksirius]

Wadley has been doing this ever since he was a Hawkeye, even during his NW highlight sequence in Kinnick during the game you saw him showboat into the end zone during that game. No, what he did today wasn't that egregious, not a flip into the end zone or a rugby-style leap over the line, or a holding out of the ball in a defender's face.

But c'mon, it was obvious: he slowed appreciably in side the 10, high-stepped a few steps starting at about the 6 yd line, and that's all it took to get the flag. And since he was in the field of play, it was a spot foul.

I'm sure the refs saw film on him from past games at some point, and this is something he does, and has done, multiple times. Often he acts like a sprinter breaking the tape at the finish line--that's what I've seen him do most. But really, don't blame the ref, blame Wadley! This was a personal foul waiting to happen. It was inevitable. It was going to happen if he kept it up. And today--deserved or not, compared to others--it happened, and it took a TD away. Yes, maybe it's a dumb rule to some (not to me--I value sportsmanship at the amateur level more than most), but there are lots of dumb rules in football but they must be followed (Really--isn't accidental targeting dumb if it's entirely unintentional? Yet people get DQ'd from that all the time). Anyway, this was bound to happen given how Wadley celebrates TD's, and it did happen, and I'm just glad it didn't affect the result in the end, and Wadley likely learned his lesson pretty painlessly, and now we can all move on.

It's not a dumb rule to you because you're a nancy that believes in participation trophies.

 

[tksirius]

 

[Xerxes]

That's not all he said.. nice try. He also said he was confused why other things haven't been called and kind of hedged on if he really thought it was penalty worthy.

He was miffed it was a penalty.. but you could tell he didn't really agree with it.

Yep he mentioned the pants over the knees rule which like the taunting rule, you see broken all the time but never called. I'm glad it wasn't called against Minnesota last year when Wadley basically did the same thing in a much tighter game.

As mentioned by another poster, hopefully it's a lesson learned. Didn't impact the final.

 

[mopkins]

Hilarious

 

[thetrza]

I think Wadley was seen turning his uniform in and clearing out his locker. Later he was outside the bus station with a duffel bag and a one way ticket back home to New Jersey.

 

[Locker67]

It's not like he punched someone. He high stepped. Should he of? No. He was told about it by Coach and was penalized for it. Give him a break. Hard to believe some think he should be kicked off the team. I have a hard time believing a Hawkeye fan would want s player kicked off for something this minor.

 

[blubberhawk]

Player should be suspended immediately.

Seriously? For a couple high steps?
After Iowa's game, I paid close attention to player behavior in other games. I saw:

Players flexing their muscles after a sack.
Players standing over players they had tackled as if they had just conquered them.
Jawing face to face with opposing players after a play. (ref just stepped in)
Gestures to the crowd after scoring a touchdown. (some sign with their hands)
One player, shushing the crowd with a finger to his lips.

So all of this crap is ok, but a couple high steps is penalized?
Maybe a little reminder from a ref was called for but a flag for this incident is BS.

This crew should have been flagged for total F....... incompetence.

 

[blubberhawk]

Change the rule... that was nothing, play on.

It absolutely represents a "type of behavior." High stepping was noted as a type of banned over-celebration when they made the ban 20 some years ago. Regardless, it's a subjective call by the refs--why give them any reason. Every time Wadley does that crap I cringe because I know this can happen. Just act like you've been there before, go back to the sidelines and celebrate with your teammates. It's real easy. Our "look at me" culture that you seem to agree with is the reason for this stupid crap...Wadley also needs to cut out the stupid slapping money thing after touchdowns--selfish and stupid.

Then the refs need to call it every time, in every game, and for every little gesture that every player does in celebration after every play.
Let's see, a little harmless high stepping gets 15 yards.
A punch in the face or a kick in the nads gets 15 yards.

Something is wrong with that scenario.

 

[blubberhawk]

ARE Y'ALL KIDDING ME??? Anyone who is against Wadley on this is crazy. He barely did a high step. A MINOR high step and it was a bogus flag. Most college players do way worse in the end zone with no flags. This was simply a HORRIBLE call and Wadley shouldn't have been flagged.

you are 100% correct. If that is show boating, refs could throw 50 flags per game on various gestures/actions., etc.

 

[revkev73]

A penalty for high stepping?

Disrespecting the American Flag during the national anthem...heroic!

Sigh

 

[dwghawk]

I'm sure there were several players over on the N. Texas side lines that will never recover from the emotional trauma after watching Wadley high step into the end zone. That was a ridicules call that was a wildly exaggerated interpretation of the taunting rules intent.

HawkleberryFinn? It seems odd that you would choose that as your message board name. I assume you fashioned it after Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. A free wheeling, rule breaking and fun loving scamp that was known for his disregard for normal societal behavior in Twain's books. High stepping into the end zone actually sounds like something Huck Finn would do just to have a little fun. I don't think he would agree with your strict adherence to the rules.

 

[Hawk90]

First they start having fun, next they'll want paid for entertaining thousands and making millions for the university, stop it now, fire Wadley, fire Kirk. We gotta keep those college kids in their place.

 

[revkev73]

Like my wife being ticketed by a highway patrolman following an illegal exit on the interstate ..."Someone needs to change that law. Has anyone looked into it? It is stupid."

Honey...just don't do it...