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The NFL Celebration Policy vs Religious Expression

Political Discussion
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  • So who watched the Chiefs destroy the Patriots last night? If you did, then you saw Husain Abdullah's celebration after his pick 6. I was watching it with my friend and explained to him that he was praying, much in the same way a Christian player might kneel and cross his chest were he to score a touchdown. He got a flag for the prayer.

    So what say you? Do you support the NFL's 'no celebration' policy, or is it an infringement of a player's rights to be penalized for praying, crossing his chest, or "Tebowing"?

    Story pasted below:

    Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah penalized for post-touchdown prayer

    By: CHRIS STRAUSS 10 hours ago

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    abdullahscreengrab.jpg?w=1000

    Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah received a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after punctuating his 39-yard interception return for a touchdown with the following gesture in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s 41-14 win over the New England Patriots.

    The refs flagged the 29-year-old veteran for dropping to his knees after the play, technically a violation of the league’s celebration rules. But it was rather apparent that Abdullah, a devout Muslim, was practicing the Sajdah, a religious prayer.

    As former NFL referee Mike Pereira pointed out last season, going to one’s knees to give praise is exempt from that enforcement.

    Abdullah’s agent, CJ LaBoy, reacted to the penalty call on Twitter shortly after.

    In a season where the NFL has faced an unprecedented amount of scrutiny for their reaction to social issues, accusations of a double standard when it comes to religious expression will certainly be unwelcome.

    The easy comparison to make in this case will be Tim Tebow’s “Tebowing” gesture, which not only was not penalized, but became a highly embraced phenomenon during the 2011 season.

    Abdullah has been just as outspoken in his Muslim faith as Tebow has in his Christianity, walking away from the game for the entire 2012 season to take a spiritual pilgrimmage to Mecca with his brother Hamza, a fellow NFL player.

    While social media is already full of accusations claiming a more diabolical double standard in penalizing Abdullah for his prayer, it’s equally possible that the referees saw him drop to his knees and threw the flag before recognizing what his intentions were.

    The best thing the league could do is put out a definitive statement first thing Tuesday admitting that he shouldn’t have been flagged and that the officials made a mistake.

    Update: The NFL did exactly that, as NFL vice president of football communications Michael Signora tweeted the following Tuesday morning.

    "I said, 'I need someone who's going to want to get on the roller coaster with me knowing that it's not always going to be fun,'" -Paul DePodesta

  • The lack of religious freedom is appalling...............is what they would say if this guy wasn't Muslim and they weren't hypocrits.

    “It is impossible to get a man to understand something if his livelihood depends on him not understanding.”

  • "going to one’s knees to give praise is exempt from that enforcement"

    So there's no NFL v religion conflict here. Just a ref or two that got the rule wrong. NFL might say it shouldn't have been flagged, and refs should receive guidance on that kind of thing.

  • gftChrisG gftChris

    "going to one’s knees to give praise is exempt from that enforcement"

    So there's no NFL v religion conflict here. Just a ref or two that got the rule wrong. NFL might say it shouldn't have been flagged, and refs should receive guidance on that kind of thing.

    @gftchris said:

    "going to one’s knees to give praise is exempt from that enforcement"

    So there's no NFL v religion conflict here. Just a ref or two that got the rule wrong. NFL might say it shouldn't have been flagged, and refs should receive guidance on that kind of thing.

    Yep, looks like they came out and said he shouldn't have been flagged. Seems the referees need some training on that front. I think the NFL celebration policy in general is stupid, though. A touchdown is worth celebrating as long as nobody is directly taunted during the celebration.

    "I said, 'I need someone who's going to want to get on the roller coaster with me knowing that it's not always going to be fun,'" -Paul DePodesta
    MLD WoodyM 1 Reply

  • I'm fine with it. On the other hand I would imagine that Jehovah for Allah have got enough shit to worry about then the Kansas City Fucking Chiefs.

    WSS

    www.westsidesteve.com www.myspace.com/westsidestevemusic www.cdbaby.com/artist/westsidestevesimmons
    WalterWhiteW 1 Reply
    👍
  • OsirisO Osiris

    @gftchris said:

    "going to one’s knees to give praise is exempt from that enforcement"

    So there's no NFL v religion conflict here. Just a ref or two that got the rule wrong. NFL might say it shouldn't have been flagged, and refs should receive guidance on that kind of thing.

    Yep, looks like they came out and said he shouldn't have been flagged. Seems the referees need some training on that front. I think the NFL celebration policy in general is stupid, though. A touchdown is worth celebrating as long as nobody is directly taunted during the celebration.

    @osiris said:

    Yep, looks like they came out and said he shouldn't have been flagged. Seems the referees need some training on that front. I think the NFL celebration policy in general is stupid, though. A touchdown is worth celebrating as long as nobody is directly taunted during the celebration.

    Yep, exactly what I was thinking. Probably just some refs that didn't know the rules and that the celebration rules in general are dumb.

    But this would have been a "War on Praying" shitstorm caused by Obamao if it was a Christian player.

    Ja.brill Peppers - Cleveland Brown OldBrownsFan, on 02 Jun 2017 - 5:09PM said: "No you are not the work of the devil but you are deceived by the devil." Who's got it better than us? Nooooobody!

  • I honestly have no idea why Antonio Brown got flagged for his ball-spinning celebration. I get that you're not allowed to use props, but since when does the ball count? And why, then, does it not affect players spiking the ball, or throwing it in to the crowd, or even people Lambeau Leaping?

  • W Westside Steve

    I'm fine with it. On the other hand I would imagine that Jehovah for Allah have got enough shit to worry about then the Kansas City Fucking Chiefs.

    WSS

    @westside-steve said:

    Jehovah for Allah have got enough shit to worry about then the Kansas City Fucking Chiefs.

    hahahahahhahahahahahhaahahhaha funniest thing I've ever read here.

    Allah and Jehovah don't give a flying fuck about the Kansas City Chiefs

  • I've never gotten that either. I'm sure god has more important things to do then worry if someone gets a TD or a base hit.

    "You planning on having a long relationship with that glass or are you going to drink it? Drink up, man. Maybe we can get another.” - Janis Joplin, 1970.
  • DieHardBrownsFanD DieHardBrownsFan

    I've never gotten that either. I'm sure god has more important things to do then worry if someone gets a TD or a base hit.

    @diehardbrownsfan said:

    I'm sure god has more important things to do then worry if someone gets a TD or a base hit.

    That's the problem with religious people, they are convinced god is always on their side working to benefit a given outcome.

  • WalterWhiteW WalterWhite

    @diehardbrownsfan said:

    I'm sure god has more important things to do then worry if someone gets a TD or a base hit.

    That's the problem with religious people, they are convinced god is always on their side working to benefit a given outcome.

    @walterwhite said:

    That's the problem with religious people, they are convinced god is always on their side working to benefit a given outcome.

    And you give a flying fuck because....?

    WSS

    www.westsidesteve.com www.myspace.com/westsidestevemusic www.cdbaby.com/artist/westsidestevesimmons
    S 1 Reply

  • Anyone know if he was facing the right way? Who thinks its ridiculous? Havent heard crap about Redskins name since the "punch heard round the world".

  • ?? what are you talking about?

  • The league admitted that it should not have been a penalty.

    "The purpose of the military is to kill people and break things " - mike huckabee

  • He is referring to Abdullah's pick 6 in the kc pats game. He slid to his knees and bowed to Allah and was flagged for it. I personally see nothing wrong with the celebration.

    "The purpose of the military is to kill people and break things " - mike huckabee

  • oh ok just read about it. Don't guys get on one knee and point to god all the time? Didn't Hillis used to do it after every TD? That doesn't look right at all.

  • It's pretty much an issue of poor referee training. The celebration rules allow religious expression and I think the ref did not recognize it as religious probably because he hasn't been exposed to it before.

    "I said, 'I need someone who's going to want to get on the roller coaster with me knowing that it's not always going to be fun,'" -Paul DePodesta
  • OsirisO Osiris

    It's pretty much an issue of poor referee training. The celebration rules allow religious expression and I think the ref did not recognize it as religious probably because he hasn't been exposed to it before.

    @osiris said:

    It's pretty much an issue of poor referee training. The celebration rules allow religious expression and I think the ref did not recognize it as religious probably because he hasn't been exposed to it before.

    Yup... the rules prohibit going to the ground as part of any celebration, except...

    "When you have a shared vision it is a lot easier to make unpopular decisions." - Paul DePodesta "When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less." - Paul Brown Complete 2017 Browns Board Mock: http://thebrownsboard.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46196

  • I believe the player himself said he thought he got it cause of the slide. I didn't see it but if the ref was pulling the flag while the dude was sliding on his knees he may not have had time to realize it was turning into a prayer. Either way the league said it shouldn't have been flagged.

  • Already discussed over on the political section, btw, if anyone fancies a look.

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