Posted on 09/30/2014 7:22:40 AM PDT by GIdget2004
Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah followed in the footsteps of many other players on Monday night when he celebrated his interception return for a touchdown by going to his knees in prayer.
Unlike those other players, Abdullah was penalized for going to the ground under the league’s rules for unsportsmanlike conduct. The only difference between Abdullah and the other players was that Abdullah is Muslim and his prayer therefore looked a bit different than what we’ve seen from others, although that didn’t make it any odder since the NFL doesn’t have rules governing which deity their players are permitted to offer thanks to after a touchdown.
Abdullah said he thought the penalty might have been for sliding to his knees rather than dropping, but NFL spokesman Michael Signora didn’t split any hairs on Tuesday when announcing that the official erred in throwing the flag.
“Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct following his fourth quarter touchdown,” Signora wrote in an email to PFT. “Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (d) states ‘players are prohibited from engaging in any celebrations or demonstrations while on the ground.’ However, the officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression, and as a result, there should have been no penalty on the play.”
(Excerpt) Read more at profootballtalk.nbcsports.com ...
I saw this on the BBC this morning. They’re claiming he really wasn’t praying.
Because he moslem.
Oh please. They never flagged Teabow and if they had it would have been wrong.
Either let the kids pray briefly after a score or not at all. You aren’t seriously suggesting the NFL should only approve certain prayers?
The kid shouldn’t have been flagged. Period.
Either support the freedom or don’t.
Was that direction towards Mecca?
I saw it an knew what he was doing. I didn’t think he should be flagged either. As must as I despise Islam and thinks it the religion of Satan...you can’t throw a flag on a muslim player who drops to his knees to pray and not throw a flag on a guy who points to heaven or crosses himself after a TD....or simply kneels and points up. I don’t need the NFL censoring religion and if you tell a muslim he can’t...you gotta tell a Christian he can’t either.
Correct.
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.”
Hope everyone keeps their heads about them.
Yep. The standard has now been set.
Ah, the NFL is back to doing what it does best, making rules, rules, and more rules. It won’t be long before smiling or laughing during a game gets you a lifetime ban, the NFL is simply too important for humor.
Is that a towel tucked in the pants or a prayer rug???
Am I the only one, or does anyone think all these rules about how players can celebrate after touchdowns are bull? If an opponent is offended by a celebration after a touchdown, they have a remedy for that; don’t allow them to score. Eliminate these stupid celebration rules and you eliminate issues like these.
Football is a game. Yes, it is taken seriously in this country and the players are highly emotionally invested in the outcome, but at the end of the day it’s still just a game. Celebrating a touchdown is simply celebrating something that happens in connection with that game. It’s not celebrating killing, torturing, raping or robbing someone.
Lighten up, NFL. I remember things like the old Washington Redskins (oops, call the pc police; I don’t think I’m allowed to use that nickname anymore :) )”fun bunch” celebrations that started all these crackdowns. I always enjoyed such things. I think those type of celebrations were also popular with many fans. It is supposed to be fun, after all.
The NFL has become a complete circus. People are fed up with the antics, showboating, bad behavior, political correctness, influence of money, etc. and are tuning it out. Its becoming a tiresome spectacle.
He shouldn’t be penalized for praying. He should be penalized for being a muslim.
Andy Reid told him right after he was flagged it was because he slid through the endzone for 20 feet before bowing down. I don’t know, I’m boycotting the National PC League.
Prayer in America has become “Unsportsmanlike”? I’m going to start carrying a 1 iron with me whenever I pray. Even God can’t hit a 1 iron.
No. Football stadiums generally run North-South as does Arrowhead.
Excellent point.
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