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Taunting Call Miffs Gruden

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By ROY CUMMINGS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 14, 2008

Updated: 10/14/2008 12:12 am

TAMPA - Bucs coach Jon Gruden has a tape that includes footage of all the things that supposedly constitute taunting in the NFL. A shot of someone turning a cartwheel is not on that tape, but the Bucs were flagged for it anyway on Sunday.

Defensive tackle Jovan Haye was whistled 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct for turning a cartwheel after Jermaine Phillips' interception. A day later, Gruden was still scratching his head.

"We'll just have to add that to our chart," Gruden said. "We just have to use better judgment and hopefully we can get some response from the people upstairs in terms of what we can do better."

Whatever the response, Gruden will not ask his players to temper their enthusiasm.

"I try to coach enthusiasm," he said. "Our coaches try to stimulate the players to be enthusiastic. You only live once. There's no sense walking around like a doughboy.

"They got these airplanes flying over your head right before kickoff. You've got the fans going crazy. What are you supposed to do? Stand there like a doughboy? I don't know how you do that."

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