i think a player can hang on the rim as much as they want. And if they do it for a long time it will cost the team a 4 on 5 fast break because he won't get back on D. I think its pretty cool. They should at least let them do that since they don't get to taunt. thank you tozai for giving me the idea of posting this.
Well, hanging on the rim can be considered taunting, considering the strength it'd require to remain up there for an extended period of time. It also can lead to unnecessary delays in that the equipment could be damaged - and, in a freakish circumstance, could lead to an injured player. As it is, after such a dunk, the player usually trails behind the play...at least if a smart team is pushing the ball immediately after such a move...so there's not too much to gain from that rule.
I like taunting. I think it adds spice. Like you said, you still have to play the next possession. Any fool woofer is going to get two the other way. Personally, I think taunting makes a more entertaining show. Of course, there is the inevitable escalation and violent payback, which can injure a player and damage the game-entertainment product. One punch at full speed can take a man down - look a Rudy. Karl Malone hit Isiah pretty hard, and gave the lights out to the Mermaid. Note however, those weren't escalations from taunting. Even the Barkleyesqe NY-Phoenix brawls, or the NY-Miami escapades were premeditated rumbles. I think the players can handle a little rim-rocking and tongue-wagging. The taunter has to live with the consequences of their well-or-ill chosen words. The public and peers will vote rapidly and loudly. It's smarter to play in your shoes, than become a pariah. The way to handle offensive and foolish stuff like the throat-slashing gig from seasons back is not to outlaw it, but rather to expose it to public scorn. Pretty soon, no-one wants to be in the same room with that idiot, and that guy has to do something good to get in good graces again. Inserting Stern and league goons just short-circuits the process. It's not a good role to stick on the refs, either. They have enough to worry about with game mechanics. Let the big boys play.
