No matter the level, school, college, or professional, physical altercations after a touchdown are never acceptable. But that’s precisely what happened during Texas A&M’s comeback win over South Carolina. Reportedly, the Aggies pulled off a stunning 27-point rally at home, the biggest comeback in program history, yet the moment everyone’s talking about is what happened to Nyck Harbor…

After scoring a touchdown, he was confronted by a police officer on the field. Though it seemed unintentional, the incident and everything that followed blew up on social media and even drew a response from Texas law enforcement. But it’s MLB Hall of Famer Chipper Jones’s unfiltered reaction that has really taken over the internet.

“This idiot needs to be unemployed tmrw…..clown! This ain’t a high school football game….BOY!” Jones shared via X. Now, that’s quite brutal!

For those who missed the game, Carolina was giving Texas A&M’s defense trouble all through the first half. And the tension peaked right before halftime, when he took a short pass from LaNorris Sellers and turned it into an 80-yard touchdown. He showed off his elite sprinter speed — no surprise given his track background. But paid for it afterward, limping to the sideline and grabbing the back of his thigh.

And here’s the story begins…

As he headed toward the tunnel with a few teammates, things took an unexpected turn. A Texas A&M police officer stepped toward Harbor and his teammate, bumping into them before pointing and yelling at Harbor. It’s evident that the South Carolina player didn’t seem to notice the officer at first, but the cop kept shouting anyway. From the video, it’s still unclear whether the contact was intentional or just a bad collision.

Now, that didn’t stop people online from immediately choosing sides. LeBron James blasted the officer, calling for the cop’s suspension and accusing him of provoking the situation. But MLB legend Chipper Jones took the opposite stance, placing the blame squarely on the Carolina player.

Comparison of MLB’s policy in view of South Carolina player’s antics

According to the latest report, the cop involved in the altercation was sent home from field duty. And it is still not updated to reflect any actions taken against the South Carolina player. And here comes MLB’s multidimensional policies towards physical altercations.

Well, MLB doesn’t have a single policy specifically addressing physical altercations. Instead, it follows a set of rules and disciplinary guidelines covering fighting, on-field confrontations, and any unsportsmanlike conduct. These rules give umpires and league officials the authority to step in immediately when things get heated.

For instance, any player, coach, or manager who starts or escalates a physical altercation can be ejected on the spot.

Moreover, umpires have full authority to eject anyone involved in aggressive physical contact, including punching, shoving, or intentionally provoking another player. And yes, coaches and managers are also held to the same standard as players. They can be disciplined for encouraging aggressive behavior or failing to control their team during bench-clearing situations.

Guess what, this top-down accountability is meant to prevent emotional flare-ups from escalating into full-scale brawls.

So while we are not sure who to blame here, a physical altercation, intentional or not, is always best avoided…