High School Player Flagged For Touchdown Nod to God

Consiglieri · Dec 6, 2010

Stupid call. All those "excessive celebration" rules, at all levels, were meant to keep athletes from showing up the other team, or calling attention to themselves with a "look at me" dance. This kid did neither.
As for running up the score...eh, it happens, especially in high school.
And when I was in school, winning athletes were the ones who had to get better grades than the average student to stay on the team.

wanderingone · Dec 7, 2010

I <3 Abraham said:
The rule is against players "drawing attention to themselves", which is certainly what this kid was doing. The rule is not about preventing "excessive celebration", it is about discouraging self-centered behavior.

And that is, in my opinion, what public displays of religiosity like this one
are. They showcase the individual person's piety at the precise moment when the most eyes are on him, right after a touchdown. That is the wrong time to do that. If you want to thank God and have a little prayer, do it on the sidelines when the special teams unit is playing. That way, you know that the motivation you have in praying to God is sincere desire for prayer rather than for being recognized publicly as a pious individual. When you do that, as the saying goes, you have already received your reward-public acclaim. If you want spiritual fruits, do it on the sidelines when fewer than everybody is watching you.

These comments pretty much sum up my feelings on the subject. I personally don't care about "excessive celebration" but if that's the rule for the game then that's what the player has to live with, to me it's quite simple, if you look at his behavior as simply a physical act, just like all the other physical demonstrations that are considered excessive and ignore the "reason" for it - does the behavior match the governing body's description of "excessive celebration" or not?.

I personally find all the "performances" of religion by assorted athletes a bit tacky.. but I guess it's a matter of tastes...

SOAD · Dec 7, 2010

Get a grip people! The boy was called for excessive celebration in the endzone. Penalty! 15 yard penalty on the kickoff. Get over it.

I was watching the Ohio State / Michigan game last week, and Ohio was flagged TWICE for excessive celebration in the endzone (unsportsmanlike conduct). What did the do? A player put his hands together and formed an O !

This thread is attempting to blame religious persecution for a 15 yard penalty. How silly.

Billnew · Dec 8, 2010

tinkle said:
Whenever I see some celebrity icon thank god, I think of all the terrible things that happen in other parts of the world. Makes no sense.

Be thankful for what you have, don't get depressed at what others do not.

SOAD said:
Get a grip people! The boy was called for excessive celebration in the endzone. Penalty! 15 yard penalty on the kickoff. Get over it.

I was watching the Ohio State / Michigan game last week, and Ohio was flagged TWICE for excessive celebration in the endzone (unsportsmanlike conduct). What did the do? A player put his hands together and formed an O !

This thread is attempting to blame religious persecution for a 15 yard penalty. How silly.

I had not heard this, so this is a good arguement.
I do not think forming an "O" is excessive. But an "O" is not religious, and Ohio State is not a goverment entity.

Like I have said, excessive means excessive. It does not mean average celebration.
If a team gets upset over the OP event or by the "O" incident they need to toughen up. There is no penalty for celebrating victories in real life.

If the celebration causes a delay, taunts directly the other team, or is rude to fans, bystanders, or opposing team, then it is excessive.

"O" and kneeling and pointing do none of these.

Billnew · Dec 8, 2010

Excessive celebration has become the "no losers" philosophy.
In young sports they don't keep score. In higher kids sports they restrict
celebrating being better then someone else.

Nathan Poe · Dec 8, 2010

Billnew said:
Excessive celebration has become the "no losers" philosophy.
In young sports they don't keep score. In higher kids sports they restrict
celebrating being better then someone else.

And I agree it's ridiculous -- but it ain't Christian persecution.

TigerKanga · Dec 8, 2010

If God helped him get the touchdown wasn't he cheating?

Its not really fair if God can help this guy and not help the other team.

SOAD · Dec 8, 2010

Billnew said:
Be thankful for what you have, don't get depressed at what others do not.

I had not heard this, so this is a good arguement.
I do not think forming an "O" is excessive. But an "O" is not religious, and Ohio State is not a goverment entity.

Like I have said, excessive means excessive. It does not mean average celebration.
If a team gets upset over the OP event or by the "O" incident they need to toughen up. There is no penalty for celebrating victories in real life.

If the celebration causes a delay, taunts directly the other team, or is rude to fans, bystanders, or opposing team, then it is excessive.

"O" and kneeling and pointing do none of these.

So, if I whip out my rosery beads and spew out a few Hail Mary's after catching a hail mary, I should not be penalized?

By the way, displaying the O is a taunt. Kneeling and pointing is a celebration, and that is against the rules.

I <3 Abraham · Dec 8, 2010

Billnew said:
Be thankful for what you have, don't get depressed at what others do not.

What?!?!

Billnew said:
There is no penalty for celebrating victories in real life.

Well, actually there is. If I beat out a coworker for a promotion and walk around the office celebrating, there will be consequences. People will think I'm an insensitive jerk and the person who lost out on the promotion will probably hate my guts afterwards.

In REAL LIFE, if I rub my victories in other people's noses, it will come back to bite me in the form of poor relationships with those around me.

Billnew said:
If the celebration causes a delay, taunts directly the other team, or is rude to fans, bystanders, or opposing team, then it is excessive.

"O" and kneeling and pointing do none of these.

But this isn't the rule, the rule is against individual players drawing attention to themselves, not excessive celebration. It would be equally against the rules for the QB to walk onto the field and do a break dance just before the snap. One MIGHT say that if the play clock hasn't reached zero then the QB can break-dance if he wants, but keep in mind that high-school sports should be about molding character. In this case the rule seems to be promoting humility and behavior that focuses on the team rather than on "me me me". I say the rule is a good one.

revanneosl · Dec 8, 2010

I'd like to throw a theological flag on this kid's play. God had nothing whatsoever to do with his touchdown.

TigerKanga · Dec 8, 2010

revanneosl said:
I'd like to throw a theological flag on this kid's play. God had nothing whatsoever to do with his touchdown.

Evidently the kid thought God helped him. If God helped you with a math test I'm sure you would know about it. What makes you think the kid would make something like that up?

keith99 · Dec 8, 2010

SOAD said:
So, if I whip out my rosery beads and spew out a few Hail Mary's after catching a hail mary, I should not be penalized?

By the way, displaying the O is a taunt. Kneeling and pointing is a celebration, and that is against the rules.

How is the 'O' a taunt? Who is being taunted?

I hate Ohio State, but from all I saw this was not a taunt by any rational definition. (That does NOT mean it was not a rule violation).

General Patton · Dec 9, 2010

What they should do is get it known ahead of time that when they score they will clap three times and that signifies that the kid who who is nearest from the other team has a mom who is a prostitute!!

Patton knew the truth!!

General Patton · Dec 9, 2010

To the know it alls who say the score played a part... Scores don't change rules. A penalty is a penalty.

You can jump up and down all across the end zone with your finger pointed in the air and that doesn't draw attention to yourself but going to one knee and pointing does?

I <3 Abraham · Dec 9, 2010

General Patton said:
To the know it alls who say the score played a part... Scores don't change rules. A penalty is a penalty.

You can jump up and down all across the end zone with your finger pointed in the air and that doesn't draw attention to yourself but going to one knee and pointing does?

Well, they BOTH do...somebody back on pg 1 said this rule is based on the NFL rule against excessive celebration but there is no particularly good reason to think that.

As the rule is written your jumping up and down giving the "whose got two thumbs and a touch down...THIS GUY!!!" sign would be a violation also.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. When you hit a homer or get a TD or checkmate your opponent, you put your head down and go back to your sideline/dugout/library. It is called sportsmanship and I don't know why everybody thinks it has no place in, you know, sports.

General Patton · Dec 9, 2010

I've said it before and I'll say it again. When you hit a homer or get a TD or checkmate your opponent, you put your head down and go back to your sideline/dugout/library. It is called sportsmanship and I don't know why everybody thinks it has no place in, you know, sports.

He put his head down.

6 seconds left in the game you throw one last desperation pass for a TD with only one second remaining for the lead. The whole place is in a frenzy and everyone on the field needs to just bow their heads and walk off? No high fives or pats on the back just walk off or it's bad sportsmanship?

What's wrong with look at me I just ran 95 yards and scored, not too many people can do what I did so I'm awesome? It's when they do it when they're down 40 with a minute left against the scrubs I would take issues with!!

Patton knew the truth!!

I <3 Abraham · Dec 9, 2010

So now the score does matter?

Okay, fine. This was not a last minute come from behind Disney montage, it was a blowout which makes showboating of any kind double secret unsportsmanlike.

Also, your example does not make sense. The rule is against a single player drawing attention to himself. Team celebration is not against the rules. Again, this is not a rule against excessive celebration, it's against the "me me me" nonsense that makes watching professional athletes nauseating as all get out sometimes.

General Patton · Dec 9, 2010

I <3 Abraham said:
So now the score does matter?

Okay, fine. This was not a last minute come from behind Disney montage, it was a blowout which makes showboating of any kind double secret unsportsmanlike.

Also, your example does not make sense. The rule is against a single player drawing attention to himself. Team celebration is not against the rules. Again, this is not a rule against excessive celebration, it's against the "me me me" nonsense that makes watching professional athletes nauseating as all get out sometimes.

The score matters on an opinion if one should celebrate or not. A penalty should not matter on the score. Do we know what the score was when he did this? I don't know maybe it said somewhere and missed it?

What's funny about the me me me is the pros promote such behavior. In the pros you can celebrate but when others get involved then it's a penalty.

The short time it took this kid to do this is obviously not a look at me sort of thing. I remember watching NFL games back in the day when announcers would give guys credit for going to one knee and handing the ref the ball. They would say that was class instead of dancing around like a fool!!

High School Player Flagged For Touchdown Nod to God

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