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NFL says refs wrong for penalizing Abdullah

jeff57 : 9/30/2014 10:38 am
for bowing to Mecca after TD.
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That would be like penalizing Mark Bavaro  
dpinzow : 9/30/2014 10:39 am : link
after all his TDs when he took a knee and prayed
The Facebook comments over this make me want to strangle myself.  
GiantFilthy : 9/30/2014 10:41 am : link
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Yup. Bad call.  
x meadowlander : 9/30/2014 10:41 am : link
Tim Tebow agrees. :)
someone please say something stupid  
Osi Osi Osi OyOyOy : 9/30/2014 10:42 am : link
so this day can go by faster.
to clarify  
muhajir : 9/30/2014 10:42 am : link
He was bowing to God, not Mecca. Mecca is just the direction that Muslims face during prayer.
Was Tebow ever  
Metnut : 9/30/2014 10:43 am : link
penalized for what he did? If not, then this flag is a mistake.
RE: to clarify  
jeff57 : 9/30/2014 10:45 am : link
In comment 11891300 muhajir said:
Quote:
He was bowing to God, not Mecca. Mecca is just the direction that Muslims face during prayer.


Correct. Should have said towards.
Eh...at least Abdullah isn't joining in on this circus reaction...  
RC02XX : 9/30/2014 10:45 am : link
on social media, as he states that he believes that he was penalized for "sliding" (ala soccer style after a goal) instead of the praying. Who knows exactly why the official threw the flag, but if it was for sliding, I don't see a big deal.

Quote:
Abdullah is a devout Muslim. After Monday's game, he told reporters that he thought the referees were flagging him for the slide, not prostrating in sajdah -- a common Muslim practice.

"For me, I just got a little too excited," Abdullah said, according to the Kansas City Star. "I think it was for the slide."

Chiefs coach Andy Reid acknowledged as much when Abdullah came to the sideline after his pick-six gave Kansas City a 41-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.

"He said, 'You can't slide,'" the sixth-year free safety said.

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Pretty simple.  
Peter in Atlanta : 9/30/2014 10:50 am : link
Quote:
"And again, I think the prostration is all right. It's the slide. Come to a full stop, get down, make the prostration, get up and get out."
Wait....  
Patrick77 : 9/30/2014 10:51 am : link
We are letting muslims play football now?

I thought this was America! Huh? Isn't this America? I'm sorry, I thought this was America.
"Hello...  
Chris in Philly : 9/30/2014 10:56 am : link
is this the FBI? My name is Paulie and I see a white van at the gas station with what looks like football players. What should I do?"
So what if he was Mecca  
MotownGIANTS : 9/30/2014 11:06 am : link
That was pure horseshit!
I thought it was an automatic penalty for going to the ground?  
NYerInMA : 9/30/2014 11:07 am : link
If so, then this is definitely a penalty under those rules. I think making exceptions to the rules just for religious reasons is stupid, whether it's a prayer to Allah, Tebowing or anything else.
I have always rolled my eyes  
Gman11 : 9/30/2014 11:19 am : link
at the silly dances and things after TDs, but geez.

If they aren't in the face of the opponent taunting them then it shouldn't be a penalty. The NFL has gotten way too flag happy.
I think there should be one appropriate celebration:  
Randy in CT : 9/30/2014 11:21 am : link
Praying to Tebow. I love that guy.
RE: I have always rolled my eyes  
NYerInMA : 9/30/2014 11:27 am : link
In comment 11891387 Gman11 said:
Quote:
at the silly dances and things after TDs, but geez.

If they aren't in the face of the opponent taunting them then it shouldn't be a penalty. The NFL has gotten way too flag happy.


Taunting and delays of game should be penalized in post-TD celebrations, but otherwise let them have fun.
What I want to know is....  
nicky43 : 9/30/2014 11:29 am : link
Why can't you slide? Not much different than dancing or doing all the other extremely weird and embarrassing things they do after a TD.

clearly there was a memo sent to the officials this week  
Giants11 : 9/30/2014 11:33 am : link
to crack down on endzone celebrations. Besides this one I saw about 3 or 4 guys flagged for them. Honestly I don't think it was about religion, it was about cracking down on endzone celebrations in general...
Remember that  
natefit : 9/30/2014 11:36 am : link
popular urban clothing line "Mecca"? in the 80s. Not so popular now I guess...
So if he would have scored in the  
The Turk : 9/30/2014 11:41 am : link
other end zone he would have turned around and prayed towards the field? What if the stadium is aligned north south instead of east west, which way do you go then? Those were facetious but seriously, how do Muslims always know which way to pray when they are in a new place? Carry a compass?
To avoid this when I am running in for a touchdown  
St. Jimmy : 9/30/2014 11:43 am : link
I usually stop to think, "What would DeSean Jackson do?"
RE: So if he would have scored in the  
Hades07 : 9/30/2014 11:47 am : link
In comment 11891439 The Turk said:
Quote:
other end zone he would have turned around and prayed towards the field? What if the stadium is aligned north south instead of east west, which way do you go then? Those were facetious but seriously, how do Muslims always know which way to pray when they are in a new place? Carry a compass?
Quickest way I have found to discovering which way is which is knowing the time of day and looking at the sun.
_____________  
Ninja : 9/30/2014 11:57 am : link
Its not the refs fault. Its the leagues fault. Theyve created this everythings a penalty culture in the game. They should feel the heat when it backfires.
This is a complete non issue if not for the idiotic  
Wuphat : 9/30/2014 12:05 pm : link
"no going to the ground in celebration" rule.

Even taking out the religious component  
c_dude : 9/30/2014 12:06 pm : link
out of his 'celebration', why would you even flag something so innocuous?
Why can't players celebrate a touchdown, again?  
Beezer : 9/30/2014 12:09 pm : link
.
What the NFL needs to do  
Hades07 : 9/30/2014 12:12 pm : link
is get rid of stupid penalties that add nothing to the fairness of play. There are too many flags in the average game already, why police and penalize celebrations after scores?
This is a non-issue  
Some Fan : 9/30/2014 12:17 pm : link
if he were flagged for the slide.

Did the official even know that he was praying otherwise? Does anyone believe that the official thought, "oh, there will be no praying to a muslim god in my endzone, so I'll throw the flag". Also, when a guy gets down on one knee in the end zone, I have no idea if he is praying or if that position is simply his low-key way to celebrate the TD.
I think the excessive celebration rule came into being  
Some Fan : 9/30/2014 12:22 pm : link
because it was causing some fights on the field. I remember the Redskins' recievers doing a little ceremony in the end zone back in the 80s which caused some fights. I think it stems from that. Plus, it generally is not good sportsmanship to taunt an opponent and an excessive celebration can be a form of taunting.
I hope the ref doesn't lose his head over this.  
MOOPS : 9/30/2014 12:41 pm : link
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The rules suck  
ZogZerg : 9/30/2014 12:45 pm : link
either you can go to the ground or you can't. Prayer should have nothing to do with the rule. Looks like the more clarification needed by the NFL.
It's a stupid rule  
Bill L : 9/30/2014 1:06 pm : link
but it sounds as if the flag was a mistake and not because of the rule per se. It was a judgment error by the ref and the Tebow comment in the article (and here) was gratuitous BS, IMO
RE: So if he would have scored in the  
glowrider : 9/30/2014 1:29 pm : link
In comment 11891439 The Turk said:
Quote:
other end zone he would have turned around and prayed towards the field? What if the stadium is aligned north south instead of east west, which way do you go then? Those were facetious but seriously, how do Muslims always know which way to pray when they are in a new place? Carry a compass?


A qibla arrow or compass always points you to Mecca. Natural features like the sun and stars help. So does a lifetime of experience. t's not terribly hard to figure it out.

The penalty was bullshit and we were talking about it last night. The refs need to have a modicum of discretion in that situation.

There was a good movie called Four Lions where these British wannabe jihadis cross the latitudinal line of Mecca and have to figure out which way is which. One of the characters has a very difficult time accepting this.
RE: So if he would have scored in the  
USAF NYG Fan : 9/30/2014 1:30 pm : link
In comment 11891439 The Turk said:
Quote:
other end zone he would have turned around and prayed towards the field? What if the stadium is aligned north south instead of east west, which way do you go then? Those were facetious but seriously, how do Muslims always know which way to pray when they are in a new place? Carry a compass?

Since it is such an important part of this religion, I believe it's something he would have looked up ahead of time. I've read that it is common for a Muslim to look this up prior to traveling to a different location.
Did you see the flag on Antonio Brown  
Peter in Atlanta : 9/30/2014 1:44 pm : link
in the Steelers game? His celebration was fine until he fell to the ground.
Wouldn't he have a legit lawsuit for this if he was fined?  
ligmen : 9/30/2014 4:16 pm : link
Since Tebow, etc. are allowed?
I think this is a case of a rule existing with unintended consequences  
glowrider : 9/30/2014 4:28 pm : link
That'll either have to be addressed on a micro or macro level. But it's not workable when a football rule invokes religious or political issues.
That was not a slide.  
Tark10 : 9/30/2014 5:49 pm : link
The dude was praying. Two years ago he was invited to the White House to celebrate Romadon (sorry for the spelling error). Did Tebow ever drop on one knee on the field to pray? I know he did on the sideline. I wonder what is next? The team scores a touchdown and 6 players place their prayer towels on the 50 yd line to thank Allah. The games are too long now. No disrespect intended toward Christianity or Islam. Play the game and pray later....
The excessive  
Big Rick in FL : 9/30/2014 9:32 pm : link
Celebration penalties are absolutely terrible. They can basically do whatever they want after scoring a goal in soccer. No fights and absolutely no problems at all.
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