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Celebration penalty costs title (Player raises hand as he scores)
ESPN ^ | 12/7/2011

Posted on 12/07/2011 7:46:17 PM PST by GreaterSwiss

OSTON -- A Massachusetts high school lost a state championship game because a player raised his arm in triumph as he ran for what would have been a go-ahead touchdown, and Boston mayor Thomas Menino doesn't like it.

The penalty for the gesture by Cathedral High School quarterback Matthew Owens in Saturday's Division 4A Super Bowl led to the losing team wondering if the referee's decision could be challenged. The state association said Wednesday that it could not.

"I think sometimes these rules are written by frustrated athletes," Menino said from Cathedral, according to Wednesday's Boston Herald. "They never participated in a sport, and they don't know what it is to be excited. You play in a football game, you run for a touchdown, and you do something special."

Blue Hills Regional Technical School athletic director Ed Catabia told The Boston Globe on Sunday that the referee made "a great call, the right call."

"We try and play by the rules, and the rule is 'no celebrating,' " he said.

The referee was enforcing a sportsmanship rule that prohibits players from celebratory or taunting behavior while scoring a touchdown.

MIAA Statement

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association has issued a statement, sent to multiple media outlets Wednesday afternoon, regarding Saturday's Boston Cathedral versus Blue Hills Regional Vocational Eastern Mass Division 4A Super Bowl.

The 18-year-old senior was racing for a score as time wound down in the game against Blue Hills. Video shows Owens briefly raising his left arm and then lowering it as he approaches the end zone. The penalty nullified the touchdown, and Cathedral lost the game 16-14.

(Excerpt) Read more at espn.go.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Massachusetts
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To: GreaterSwiss

Zero tolerance is a Liberal idea that should be ridiculed like most other Liberal ideas. The idea that raising an arm can be construed as excessive celebration is simply ludicrous.

But then again this is the Northeast. Isn’t this where playing soccer games but not keeping score got started?


21 posted on 12/07/2011 8:16:32 PM PST by VeniVidiVici ("Si, se gimme!")
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To: GreaterSwiss
Insanity; especially after one watches the video.
22 posted on 12/07/2011 8:17:02 PM PST by HereInTheHeartland (I love how the FR spellchecker doesn't recognize the word "Obama")
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To: GreaterSwiss

Another elephant in the room. This would seem to a cultural issue. When whites dominated the sports world they scored and went to the sidelines. Now that blacks dominate when they score they feel the need to have a solid gold dancers moment. We’re trying to make blacks like whites. It doesn’t seem to be working. Put everyone through the military for two years and we might just get there. Otherwise, it isn’t happening.


23 posted on 12/07/2011 8:17:51 PM PST by TwoSwords
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To: VicVega

As if cheerleader action is NOT at least as “bad”? Come on this is a sport, and if NCAA itself is calling that a taunt, well they must have miiiiiighty thin skin. Sure he ought to obey the rules, even if stupid, but stupid rules ought to be subject to revision and this would likely head the list. It’s not like the would be scorer thumbed his nose or sumfin.


24 posted on 12/07/2011 8:18:48 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Sometimes progressives find their scripture in the penumbra of sacred bathroom stall writings (Tzar))
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To: Bob; GeronL
"Act like you've done it before."

GeronL wrote the same thing, and I agree.

In the NFL, all these young guys want to emulate Deion Sanders so they can end up on sport highlight films.

BTW, GEAUX LSU, GEAUX SAINTS!

25 posted on 12/07/2011 8:19:28 PM PST by VicVega (LSU is without a doubt the #1 team in the nation. GEAUX TIGERS, Geaux Saints)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts

Barry Sanders must have known your father, thats how he did it when he scored.


26 posted on 12/07/2011 8:20:49 PM PST by VicVega (LSU is without a doubt the #1 team in the nation. GEAUX TIGERS, Geaux Saints)
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To: HereInTheHeartland

‘Honey Badger’ ahd a faux touchdown in the 2011 SEC championship game. Finishing a kick return, he did not cross the goal line in possession of the ball. But that touchdown was allowed and the day turned in LSU’s favor from there. These things all depend upon which state the game is played and what schools are involved.


27 posted on 12/07/2011 8:23:28 PM PST by MHGinTN (Some, believing they cannot be deceived, it's impossible to convince them when they're deceived.)
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To: VicVega
i'm old school and agree whole heatedly that you should act like you've been in the endzone before... enough of the me me me me bullsh!t

i still don't think he got enough time though, if it was you or me, well

28 posted on 12/07/2011 8:26:49 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

The coaches in the NCAA wanted this particular kind of taunting added to the rules this year. The NCAA followed and added it. It was used twice in the NCAA this year and touchdowns were called back. As written, the division these HS teams are in follow those rules. Kids know it before going in. Sucks, but it happened.


29 posted on 12/07/2011 8:27:22 PM PST by VicVega (LSU is without a doubt the #1 team in the nation. GEAUX TIGERS, Geaux Saints)
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To: VicVega
Barry was one hell of an athlete and a gentleman. I'm sure Pa got the saying from someone else but it's still good advice.
30 posted on 12/07/2011 8:28:04 PM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (Attacking Wall Street because you're jobless is like burning down Whole Foods because you're hungry.)
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To: Chode

LOL, we would still be in the slammer.


31 posted on 12/07/2011 8:28:41 PM PST by VicVega (LSU is without a doubt the #1 team in the nation. GEAUX TIGERS, Geaux Saints)
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To: VicVega
ya got that right...
32 posted on 12/07/2011 8:33:01 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: MHGinTN; HereInTheHeartland
Yes, in one camera angle it looked as though Honey B gave up the ball prior to scoring.

Lets say he didn't score based on that angle.

The IR Crew upstairs had at their discretion to overturn the call.

Georgia could have challenged the call. The game was played in their back yard as in their state. They failed to do so, so the TD failed.

Now get over Bama losing to the number 1 team in the Nation MHGINTN.

You guys have an opportunity to lose again in the BCS Championship. LOL!

33 posted on 12/07/2011 8:35:09 PM PST by VicVega (LSU is without a doubt the #1 team in the nation. GEAUX TIGERS, Geaux Saints)
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To: DBrow

Well, to take an argument from a thread earlier today attacking Romney for saying he had kept his marriage together — if you celebrate winning, you are really just attacking losers by telling them that winning is better.


34 posted on 12/07/2011 8:35:23 PM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: VicVega

Well, it still seems awfully thin skinned of the NCAA to want it. “Hooray I’m winning” is a taunt? Is everyone on the edge of a roid rage?


35 posted on 12/07/2011 8:38:51 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Sometimes progressives find their scripture in the penumbra of sacred bathroom stall writings (Tzar))
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To: Chode

Sorry, my reply ended up going to someone else. It was meant for you. Glad you caught it.


36 posted on 12/07/2011 8:39:26 PM PST by VicVega (LSU is without a doubt the #1 team in the nation. GEAUX TIGERS, Geaux Saints)
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To: DBrow
In 1965 my high school football team won the state championship. We jumped and shouted and even put our fists in the air. We beat them fair and square. We also went out and shook the opposing teams hand. We did nothing wrong. We did not fear the opposing team, but we did fear our coach Mr. Hillman. We would never do anything wrong that would bring shame to Coach Hillman. The fear we had of coach Hillman was not of punishment. We feared greatly his disapproval.
37 posted on 12/07/2011 8:46:20 PM PST by cpdiii (Deckhand, Roughneck, Mud Man, Geologist, Pilot, Pharmacist. THE CONSTITUTION IS WORTH DYING FOR!)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

Your confused again on who wanted it and who instituted it based on the majority of the coaches request. Excessive taunting happens in all aspects of the game regardless if the team is winning or losing. Watch someone go ape sh*t when they make a tackle. In some cases it can be flagged as excessive and a penalty of 15 yards usually follows. In this particular case the HS student wasn’t winning, they were behind by 4 points if I recall. He taunted the other player and got called for it.


38 posted on 12/07/2011 8:47:31 PM PST by VicVega (LSU is without a doubt the #1 team in the nation. GEAUX TIGERS, Geaux Saints)
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To: VicVega

I mean, winning the touchdown (regardless of the overall score).

Back when the high school I went to did pep rallies, it was amazing and amusing what the cheerleader squads came up with to taunt the opposition. For example, one rival team called the Commodores was dubbed the “Commode Odors.” Nobody really cared because the razzing was mutual.

But, it may be that players have become such prima donnas now that this is needed to head off donnybrooks on the field. Sad.


39 posted on 12/07/2011 8:57:49 PM PST by HiTech RedNeck (Sometimes progressives find their scripture in the penumbra of sacred bathroom stall writings (Tzar))
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To: CW_Conservative
Where did they dig up that Zampolit troll?
40 posted on 12/07/2011 9:00:50 PM PST by kiryandil (turning Americans into felons, one obnoxious drunk at a time (Zero Tolerance!!!))
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