Chris Johnson should NOT have been penalized, per NFL's VP of Officiating

Chris Johnson is making news for complaining that he was penalized for his religion. He made a "religious display" (kneeling with his hands lifted towards the sky) after an endzone interception (video here). Some are arguing the penalty was anti-religious.



Regardless of your feelings about religion, the penalty was unfair, per the NFL's own rules.

When the penalty happened on Sunday, I thought about this video, where Mike Pereira, the NFL's VP of Officiating, stated that a player should be penalized for a celebration if his knees touch the ground, UNLESS he is doing it to "praise the lord."



Let's save the unsavory religious overtones of Pereira's rule interpretation for another day... if we accept this rule as Pereira explains it, then why was it not applied properly in Chris Johnson's case? (Because the officials have it in for the Raiders!)

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• bluenwolfy said October 06, 2009

  not the officials ,,,the politians in office seem to have it GOD. Everywhere ya go there taking his name out,and this country was founded on by God. look at all in the White House with praises of GOD.
  All the 52 % that voted for the unGODly man,,,,thank yourselves
  IN GOD WE TRUST(not Man) Man has ruined the game of Football and this country

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  • AlanaG replied October 06, 2009

    Wow not even sure where to start with that comment, so I'm just going to leave that as is and let your own words argue against yourself.
  • ChiAtl replied October 07, 2009

    All the 52 % that voted for the unGODly man,,,,thank yourselves - ONE COMMENT - Deal with it bluewolfy!! Our president is here to stay. The sooner you swallow that pill the better you may begin to feel. Then again, there is just no hope for the sick mind.
    
    The Chris Johnson case has nothing to do with the 52% votes. Stick to the facts. Let the man praise and do what he feels. The liberals didn't make the rule!! Go do your research. You have no idea what this country was founded on and that is painfully obvious.
• AnnieM said October 06, 2009

  bluenwolfy is very correct. The liberals are going to ruin this country by their 'anything goes' mentality.

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• headae said October 06, 2009

  If you want to honor good dont get on your knees, get your checkbook out and give to charities and honor people with what you accomplish. Field goal--give $100. Interception--give $150. Winning game--give $200. You get the idea!

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  • AlanaG replied October 06, 2009

    That's a good idea too, for sure.
  • acienthippie replied October 07, 2009

    "Ignorence is bliss
• crazyman said October 06, 2009

  well said bluenwolfy

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• dapoeticmasta said October 06, 2009

  Well in Johnson's case was not "down on his knees then praying" it was more like "I'm awesome, praise me" celebration/taunt. He should've gone down on his knees put his head down with one hand on his forehead (or however u think praising the Lord on your knees should be). But no... instead of Johnson praising the the Heavens it was more like the other way around.... like the Heavens praising him.... just my opinion.. nothing against the Raiders or the Johnson and I do think the NFL is way too strict on the celebrations and they should be alowed

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  • mac2009 replied October 07, 2009

    The church Imy family attends lift their hands up in the air and sing or pray to the Lord, but some of the people in my church bow their heads to pray. There is no right or wrong way to pray to God. If your willing to talk, he's willing to listen.
• ohajismith said October 07, 2009

  to, Dapoeticmasta: I wonder if you actually read the bible (assuming a christian perspective for which you base your ideas of what praise for God should be). If you do you'd know that praise for God comes in many forms, not just one knee with your head down, in fact, i'm pretty sure you won't find that in the bible at all, that has its roots in bowing before kings which then was applied to bowing before God, not the other way around, so the manner in which you suggest to praise god has its roots in praising men. Indeed you'll find many references to men stretching their hands out to God in worship.
  
  Bluenwolfy: this country was not founded "on by God" as you put it. This country was founded by capitalists land and people owning wealthy men who didn't want to pay taxes. This is the underlying founding principle of our country. I mean unless you think people owning is a Godly principle, unless you think that subjecting women is a godly principle, unless you think bad treatment of the poor is a godly principle, unless you think idol worship is a godly principle, if this is the case then yeah, we were founded "on by God"
  
  as for voting for an "unGodly" man. What do you base this on? I'm sure that you've done exhaustive research including personal interviews of both the president and his close personal friends and family as to be able to draw such a certain conclusion in the face of all available facts to the general public to the contrary as to his personal religious beliefs. Please share with us the rest of the world what you were able to uncover so that we can all be as enlightened as you.
  
  and seriously.....Man ruined the game of football....really? Football is a divine right now? that sacred tradition established only in America in the early 1900's right?
  
  Crazyman, you're a moron for co-signing with this idiot.

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  • koalalover replied October 07, 2009

    I agree that the NFL has been ruined by the owners. I have been watching since I was a little kid which was at least forty years ago. The NFL owners have become so greedy that Pro football reminds me of a type of slavery. Owners paying other men to abuse their bodies on national TV. Owners fighting over how much stuff they can sell. One owner claiming that his team is America's team and God's favorite team. The officials like Ed Hocculi thinking they are perfect and that they rule. It's ridiculous! I rarely watch NFL football anymore unless I DVR it because of zillions of commercials and the absurdity of it all. Keep it up NFL and you will lose a lot of viewers.
• leggo7 said October 07, 2009

  i feel you! celebrations should be allowed!It seems as if you cant be yourself in sports anymore. Every one has to be a robot! its all politics and racism.The future of sports for african-ameri is bleek, unless you want submit to unfare officiating that's to design fustrate you.Old habits die hard. this will continue to get worst it's sad but hatred seems to be in the majority. Tenastilin

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• Voiceofreason said October 07, 2009

  Alana G, timely clip of Pereira, he might have been talking tongue-in-cheek but I'll take him at his word so no penalty should have been assessed, or it should have been overturned.
  
  Bluenwolfy, I have just one thing to say: "Lighten up...FRANCIS!"
  
  Dapoeticmasta, I agree with ohajismith, there is a strong tradition of charismatic Christianity in the U.S. through which Johnson's kneeling can be perfectly understood as joyous praise of God. It looked a little self-glorifying to me, too, but Johnson says it was worship so like Pereira I'll take him at his word.
  
  AnnieM & Crazyman, you're known by the company you keep. Both "the liberals" and whomever it is you vote for (I assume you vote) have had turns running...er, "ruining" the country and somehow most of us do just fine. It's hard to ruin a country as great as this.
  
  And to all you unfortunates who belong to "Raider Nation", forget about prayer in the endzone. Try Lourdes.
  
  Go Bears!

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• ilovesmarts said October 07, 2009

  your talking about ungodly man....really it says god created man so if god didnt create him who did...Saten are u saying that the devil has power over gods domain and that he has taken over and that u now praise saten :O
  
  but Voiceofreason thank you ITS FOOTBALL....come on....suck it up and deal just because the guy didnt make 200,000 dollars or whatever on that so what big deal just shut up and watch the go damn game

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