By Dan Calabrese ——Bio and Archives--September 30, 2014
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In a move that is sure to generate some discussion, Husain Abdullah of the Chiefs was flagged 15 yards after kneeling in the end zone in Muslim prayer after scoring a touchdown off an interception of Tom Brady. The unsportmanlike conduct penalty Abdullah received sparked a quick outrage on Twitter where it was noted that plenty of Christian players mark their scores with a sign of deference, reflection or tribute to their higher power. Abdullah took the high road after the game and said he thought he was penalized for sliding into the prayer, though the head referee cited "falling to the ground on the knees" in announcing the infraction. While some fans mistakenly said the NFL rulebook provides an exception for praying players, that isn't exactly true. The excessive celebration rule is actually kind of vague with players "prohibited from engaging in any celebrations while on the ground." Prayer is never specifically mentioned, though Pereira's comment generally embodies the permissive view that NFL officials usually take toward religious exhibition.
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