Taunting shouldn't be a DQ in Track & Field

Yes let's encourage athletes (including children) to mock their competitors.

So good to hear that you FINALLY have a chance to speak your mind …. To say Good Sportsmanship doesn’t matter. 0/10

OP never said he encourages taunting, only that the punishment doesn't fit the crime. I agree, a future ban or financial penalty would be more appropriate.

Taunting should be a dq. Taunting impedes my ability to run fast because I am weak minded

This is both exactly the “silly moral puritanism” I was referring to in the OP and also a complete strawman. Thanks for playing the LetsRun greatest hits!

So what do you suggest for the 99% rest of track and field that isn't professional? There is no fair way to implement standardized penalties for things like taunting other than DQ. Time penalties are far too controversial and complex to implement. I assume you recognize fines are simply out of the question here.

The OP substitutes a larger for a smaller penalty and labels it mercy. In reality, there is no parallel between track and football/basketball penalties for taunting. Not only do they not nullify touchdowns for taunting but only assess a yardage penalty on the ensuing kickoff, but they do not even consider ejecting players from games for it, unless particularly egregious; they do not make them forfeit the entire game; and they do not ban them or the team ordinarily from subsequent games, as the OP wants them to do in track, to be merciful. Ejecting players from games or making their teams forfeit the games for taunting would be parallel to dq'ing track athletes for taunting. To avoid all that, they could use a system that steps up for each infraction, starting with fines, like they do in the Florida high school system (yellow and red cards, for instance, cost soccer players money), and moving up to suspensions.

Did you read the OP?

They shouldn’t allow taunting because they want to avoid fights

Athletes were getting Dq'd for that behavior before you were born and thankfully still are. This is also not football or basketball.

is taunting a big issue? mainly in hs sports?

i think there is a (good) reason for why they do this, it is not really within the spirit of the sport.

This is in no way about mercy. It’s about an appropriate and logical-feeling consequence that doesn’t negate an”on-field” result. And (although the precise specifics of what we’re proposing may vary) when I read the end of your post, we’re proposing very similar things. At all levels, I could see a “caution” which the athlete carries for the rest of the season for a first offense and a “red card” for a second offense (or major egregious offense) which leads to ejection from the current meet and a suspension for a certain number of days/meets, both coupled with a fine (small for the caution, larger for the red) at the professional level.

imagine a world where everyone respected each other

that would really suck

How about this? If taunting, no DQ, you just are placed last in the heat or final. I have no sympathy for bad sportsmanship in any sport. I'm also fine with the DQ. Don't act like as a**, especially if you just won.

T&F throwers are large enough and strong enough to seriously hurt or kill someone. Some T&F sprinters are strong enough to seriously hurt or kill someone. T&F has been fine sans taunting.

And NFL players (who compete in a league with close sequences for taunting in line with what I’m proposing) are weaklings incapable of inflicting damage on their adversaries.

Don't double down on stup!d.

* Taunting in N.F.L. is a 15 yard penalty.

* Taunting in N.F.L. may get a player or players immediately kicked out the game and maybe future games.

* Taunting in N.F.L.. may result in a large fine.

So we agree! Those are exactly the (type of) penalties I and others are proposing!