NFL penalizes Muslim player for praying

a reply to: intrepid

Would just love to see some constancy, not in regard to this play tho the power slide by rule should be flagged, but this season they are all over the place imo.

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: burdman30ott6



You are correct, but it doesn't change that he never got flagged for the same rule of going to the ground.

The league strengthened the celebration rules in 2013. I can't find the pedigree of the "going to the ground" rule, so I can't say this for certain, but the rule may not have even existed when Tebow scored his last NFL TD. We're talking about a player who last saw the endzone in the 2011 AFC Wild Card game against the Steelers. League rules change every off season and I'm not sure there can be a direct comparison made rule enforcement-wise over a 33 month passage of time.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

That one was changed a while ago IIRC.
And players are still allowed to go to the ground for prayer.
I agree they got the call right for the power slide, but since it was his transition to his prayer, I think they had to do some cya.
I don't think it was specifically cause it was a muslim prayer, but just cause he did in the end go to the ground in the name of prayer.

Messed up the copy paste on my phone but it was an article from 2010 talking about the columbo from the Cowboys was flagged for going to the ground so it seems it has been around since then at least

originally posted by: Sremmos80
a reply to: intrepid



Would just love to see some constancy, not in regard to this play tho the power slide by rule should be flagged, but this season they are all over the place imo.

This I agree with. It's sad that the NFL feels the need to soothe ridiculous butthurt by making a public statement of remorse over this defensible judgement call by the officials, yet the league is dead silent about an absolutely blown illegal pick call in the Niners/Eagles game (just throwing one of several just plain poor calls I saw this weekend.) The NFL needs to stop concerning themselves with being societal "good neighbors" and concentrate on doing what they do well: FOOTBALL. Forget the rest of this garbage. They may lose casual fans, but if they keep blowing their games up they're going to start losing die-hards, and the die-hards pay the bills.

Anyway, some good all that praying did Tebow. He had a short, underwhelming tenure. The Lord smited him. Maybe he should have prayed to the darkside instead and sold his soul for a more productive NFL career. I'd be p!ssed at the man upstairs if I were him.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

Ya i heard about that call, I didn't get to watch the game cause I am in San Diego and the chargers were playing.
Was watching the play by play and if I recall it was a drive ending call was it not?
Oh and in case you don't see my edit, the rule seems to have been around since 2010.

originally posted by: intrepid
IDK what it is but the officials have SUCKED in the last few years. Too many rule changes? Too many of the old guard retiring?

I have a friend who just retired from being a back judge for the NFL. It is not the officials who make the rules, but a committee chosen by the coaches and owners. The officials, some times begrudgingly, have to call the penalties that the NFL competition committee tells them to - whether they agree with the rule or not.

en.wikipedia.org...

NFL penalizes Muslim player for praying

GOOD. No grandstanding.

originally posted by: Restricted

NFL penalizes Muslim player for praying

GOOD. No grandstanding.

But Christians pointing to "Heaven" and the Tebow kneel are OK?

ETA: What about players from both teams that gather to pray when a player goes down? Flag them too?

a reply to: intrepid

Praying is silly. Evolve.

originally posted by: Restricted
a reply to: intrepid

Praying is silly. Evolve.

I'm an agnostic dude. Prayer and I aren't equitable. I DO however respect others beliefs. Try it.

originally posted by: intrepid

originally posted by: Restricted
a reply to: intrepid

Praying is silly. Evolve.

I'm an agnostic dude. Prayer and I aren't equitable. I DO however respect others beliefs. Try it.

No.

originally posted by: intrepid
ETA: What about players from both teams that gather to pray when a player goes down? Flag them too?

Excessive supplication rule?

originally posted by: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: intrepid
ETA: What about players from both teams that gather to pray when a player goes down? Flag them too?

Excessive supplication rule?

Could be. There's only one god in the NFL. Ask Goodell, he'll tell you the same.

a reply to: Restricted

You know who was a football specimen... Dexter Manley. Very no-frills type of player whould certainly appreciate your opinions and the style you write them in.

originally posted by: Restricted
a reply to: intrepid

Praying is silly. Evolve.

Intolerance is silly.......Evolve...

The "religious expression" being allowed as part of a celebration appears to be an unwritten exception to the rule.

From the official 2014 rules:

Prolonged or excessive celebrations or demonstrations
by an individual player
.
Players are prohibited from engaging in any celebrations or demonstrations while on the ground. A celebration or demonstration shall be deemed excessive or prolonged if a player continues to celebrate or demonstrate after a warning from an official

Source

originally posted by: ManBehindTheMask

originally posted by: Restricted
a reply to: intrepid

Praying is silly. Evolve.

Intolerance is silly.......Evolve...

I'm on the other guys side on this one, it isn't "evolution" to be forced to deal with crazy superstitions the rest of us should have a degree of separation from such antics, there is a right in this country to BELIEVE what you want but at the same time there was separation of Church and State and I think this being on national Television is much more in line with pushing your beliefs on others than being allowed your beliefs.

No player should be allowed to pray on the field period and my concept here is simple... If you want to pray you can do so silently even in the field, i'm sure the fictitious divine gaseous invertebrate of cosmic heft and constant interference in peoples masturbatory habits doesn't need glorious hand gestures and verbally spoken words to hear your message

If Tebow held up a sign for canned spam and received 20,000 every time he did something he'd be thrown out.... I don't see how "advertising" your religion to a Nationwide audience in (supposed) return of favor-age in the afterlife as reward is any different. And frankly, it's worse at least if he advertised a product I might get something useful as it is all the religion can do is offend a lot of people, Spam I could eat....

a reply to: criticalhit

You seem to be confused...
The "National" in National Football League doesn't mean the league is state-run. It is a privately owned and operated institution and, as such, it is within its rights to create, enforce, and even choose to ignore any of its own rules as it see fit. That includes rules that may run contary to some Constitutional rights.

You have a right to turn off your television to avoid being subjected to displays of religiousness in the NFL. That is the extent of your freedom of religion in regards to the league. If the league believed that the majority of its fans were offended by Tebow's praying, and it was hurting their bottom line, I'm pretty confident we'd see the league place a ban on the prayer pose. The plain as day simple fact is we live in a world of majority rules in regards to private businesses and the capitalist marketplace and atheists and agnostics constitute a clear minority. I don't want to bluntly say you don't matter, because your cash is as good as anyone else's, but unless your outrage manifests itself in the form of significant loss of revenue, well... you don't matter.

originally posted by: criticalhit
it isn't "evolution" to be forced to deal with crazy superstitions the rest of us should have a degree of separation from such antics,

"There I was, my right arm held down by Chris Berman, my left arm pinned by Terry Bradshaw, Erin Andrews jamming toothpicks under my eyelids to keep me from blinking... forced to witness Husein Abdullah publically display his belie in and praise to a god."
How is anyone forced when they have an on/off switch on their TV? I believe you mean "I was faced with a difficult personal dilema of either changing the channel and missing the game I am entertained by due to my irreligious wont in life, or continue watching the game and whine about it later."

originally posted by: UnBreakable
Anyway, some good all that praying did Tebow. He had a short, underwhelming tenure. The Lord smited him. Maybe he should have prayed to the darkside instead and sold his soul for a more productive NFL career. I'd be p!ssed at the man upstairs if I were him.

Fantastic, so we can hold a black mass in the end zone, just don't slide up to the alter.