'Act of faith' costs track team a win, trip to state championships

[Locutus]

via Zip:

It’s come to this.

COLUMBUS, Texas — An act of faith has cost an area track team a win and a chance to advance to the state championships.

This past weekend, the Columbus High School Mighty Cardinals had just won a boys relay race when a runner’s final gesture got them disqualified.

As he was crossing the finish line, Derrick Hayes pointed up to the sky. His father believes he was giving thanks in a gesture to God.

“It was a reaction,” father KC Hayes said. “I mean you’re brought up your whole life that God gives you good things, you’re blessed.”

Columbus ISD Superintendent Robert O’Connor said the team had won the race by seven yards. It was their fastest race of the year.

Though O’Connor cannot say why the student pointed, he says it was against the rules that govern high school sports.

The rules state there can be no excessive act of celebration, which includes raising the hands.

“I don’t think that the situation was technically a terrible scenario as far as his action, but the action did violate the context of the rule,” Supt. O’Connor said.

But critics, including the runner’s father, see it as a violation of religious freedom. Some of them have even complained to the state, which does not appear to be budging.


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'Act of faith' costs track team a win, trip to state championships | wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth

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[karrie]

If he'd stood still and hugged himself for 15 seconds, how is that less of a 'celebration', than briefly raising his hand?

It's the flips and dances they're trying to stamp out, so focus on that, focus on things that go on for stupid amounts of time. These sorts of rulings are ridiculous, especially if the school kids aren't reminded ahead of time to turn into robots.

 

[Jonny_C]

You can't raise your hands when you win a race? Wow.

 

[EagleSmack]

You can't raise your hands when you win a race? Wow.

No Johnny... you must bow your head and apologize to the other racers for being the best. Then everyone is awarded a medal and trophy. Counseling is provided after for all runners who did not win.

 

[karrie]

No Johnny... you must bow your head and apologize to the other racers for being the best. Then everyone is awarded a medal and trophy. Counseling is provided after for all runners who did not win.

But don't bow your head too long. Wouldn't want to get caught saying a celebratory thank you prayer.

 

[EagleSmack]

But don't bow your head too long. Wouldn't want to get caught saying a celebratory thank you prayer.

Nice catch.

 

[damngrumpy]

No actually some of the gestures got out of hand a few years ago. Remember the guy who
put the cell phone in a goal post in the NFL? Then there was Dennis Rodman who showed
up at events wearing a wedding dress? No they are not linked to this case at all but the
gestures were becoming a problem so the answer in the school system is to ban all of them.
Should a team be disqualified for it I personally don't think so. This is not a religious thing, or
even a we beat you thing. What it really is, comes down to the existing rules no matter how
dumb, are there and it could cost you. Therefore its a matter of discipline. Wait until you are
off the track before doing anything. The rules committee should re-think this but in the mean
time the rule is the rule. The coach should have mentioned this to players before the event.
Can you imagine if we just threw out all the rules at an event because we thought they were
dumb? Secondly this forum mentions the law is the law, and rules are rules yet when something
like this happens we say dumb and just let them win. Life doesn't work that way. We are
supposed to bring children up to understand we have rules in society and they are to be respected
until society changes them. Live and learn, unfortunately.

 

[Jonny_C]

No Johnny... you must bow your head and apologize to the other racers for being the best. Then everyone is awarded a medal and trophy. Counseling is provided after for all runners who did not win.

Of course! I should have thought of that!

:banghead:

 

[Walter]

Liberalism at its finest. How dare anyone be different from someone else.

 

[Zipperfish]

I don't have these problems.

 

[Jonny_C]

Cue music...

"Little boxes, little boxes,
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
And they all look just the same"

 

[karrie]

No actually some of the gestures got out of hand a few years ago. Remember the guy who
put the cell phone in a goal post in the NFL? Then there was Dennis Rodman who showed
up at events wearing a wedding dress? No they are not linked to this case at all but the
gestures were becoming a problem so the answer in the school system is to ban all of them.
Should a team be disqualified for it I personally don't think so. This is not a religious thing, or
even a we beat you thing. What it really is, comes down to the existing rules no matter how
dumb, are there and it could cost you. Therefore its a matter of discipline. Wait until you are
off the track before doing anything. The rules committee should re-think this but in the mean
time the rule is the rule. The coach should have mentioned this to players before the event.
Can you imagine if we just threw out all the rules at an event because we thought they were
dumb? Secondly this forum mentions the law is the law, and rules are rules yet when something
like this happens we say dumb and just let them win. Life doesn't work that way. We are
supposed to bring children up to understand we have rules in society and they are to be respected
until society changes them. Live and learn, unfortunately.

Even at the Olympics athletes are allowed to show a spirit of victory, throw their arms in the air, etc.

This is literally a reflexive thing for people in moments of triumph, it's not like it was a triple back flip. It's an actual, honest mistake to make. So no, I don't think telling kids 'suck it up, that's the rules' is appropriate when it comes to honest, understandable, human actions.

 

[L Gilbert]

Pointing a finger skywards always meant #1 to me. If it means "God made me do it", that's fine, too. Either way it is hardly "excessive celebration". PC people and nannies really need to get a grip. And I don't think it has anything to do with teaching kids to follow rules. I also don't think it has anything to do with one brand of partisanship or another, Wally. Jeeeez.