Conduct unbecoming a head coach

My annoyance with Sean McVay on Sunday showed that I might be old-fashioned, believing coaches should not taunt/goad/criticize opposing players during a game.

I can understand why Sean McVay shouted, “That’s so bad!” after seeing how D.K. Metcalf shoved an unsuspecting Ahkello Witherspoon in the fourth quarter on Sunday.

I can even see why McVay gestured for the officials to eject Metcalf.

What I find unambiguously lame, though, is the way McVay and members of his coaching staff antagonized Metcalf from the sideline. And then – after Metcalf had earned himself a 15-yard penalty for his gestures toward the Rams bench – McVay celebrated by clenching his fists and shouting. Here’s a screen grab from the FOX broadcast:

This is so cringe.

That’s some dork behavior right there. The kind of thing you’d expect from trolls and snitches, not a Super Bowl-winning coach and while none of this excuses or even mitigates Metcalf’s immaturity, it did cause me to realize that I’m kind of old-fashioned that I don’t think coaches should taunt/goad/criticize opposing players during a game. I’m not talking about what coaches may or may not say to reporters. I’m talking about what they say to players.