Cathedral High (MA) quarterback Matt Owens ran virtually untouched into the end zone scoring the biggest touchdown of his life.
With six minutes remaining in the game, Owens' touchdown gave Cathedral an 18-16 lead over Blue Hills HS and quite possibly, the Massachusetts state championship.
But it was not to be as Owens was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for raising his fist while racing to the end zone.
Sure, Massachusetts, like all other states, uses NCAA rules which state that if the ball is alive when the player makes a taunting gesture, then the penalty is enforced at the spot of the foul.
And the key here is: no touchdown.
Any attempt to draw attention to oneself, whether pointing a finger or raising a fist as Owens did, can result in a penalty.
Why? Why is it that players can no longer celebrate their successes? Yep, I understand taunting and I understand bullying and all the other ills of the world.
And I get the rule.
But, why do we have these idiotic rules in the first place? So, when my son strikes out the side to win a Big 10 conference championship, he should just walk off the mound into the dugout while his teammates nod their heads.
Or maybe when my daughter scores the game-winning goal for Team USA Hockey in the gold medal game, she shouldn't jump up and down on the ice for fear that the women of the losing team's feelings be hurt.
Better yet, you know what we should do? We should have all athletic contests, all the way from pee wees to the pros...
all of them should be played in a remote location where there are no fans, no television cameras to televise these...
these atrocities of the human spirit.
How dare we compete! This is where our weak society is headed.
Maybe in the near future, Massachusetts, and all other states, can, at the start of the season, just hand out a state championship trophy to every team in the state.
The games don't need to be played because...
well, somebody would lose...
and heaven forbid that happen to little Johnny (and, by the way, in our weak society Johnny can be a boy's AND a girl's name).
By doing this, Massachusetts, and all other states, would promote self-esteem.
What a crock! Oh, yeah...
Matt Owens' 18th birthday was Saturday.
I'm sure he was excited to be scoring the winning touchdown to give his school a state title on his birthday.
Instead, on the next play, after the penalty, Owens threw an interception.
Blue Hills HS went on to win the game, 16-12, and the state championship.
Think they celebrated?
With six minutes remaining in the game, Owens' touchdown gave Cathedral an 18-16 lead over Blue Hills HS and quite possibly, the Massachusetts state championship.
But it was not to be as Owens was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for raising his fist while racing to the end zone.
Sure, Massachusetts, like all other states, uses NCAA rules which state that if the ball is alive when the player makes a taunting gesture, then the penalty is enforced at the spot of the foul.
And the key here is: no touchdown.
Any attempt to draw attention to oneself, whether pointing a finger or raising a fist as Owens did, can result in a penalty.
Why? Why is it that players can no longer celebrate their successes? Yep, I understand taunting and I understand bullying and all the other ills of the world.
And I get the rule.
But, why do we have these idiotic rules in the first place? So, when my son strikes out the side to win a Big 10 conference championship, he should just walk off the mound into the dugout while his teammates nod their heads.
Or maybe when my daughter scores the game-winning goal for Team USA Hockey in the gold medal game, she shouldn't jump up and down on the ice for fear that the women of the losing team's feelings be hurt.
Better yet, you know what we should do? We should have all athletic contests, all the way from pee wees to the pros...
all of them should be played in a remote location where there are no fans, no television cameras to televise these...
these atrocities of the human spirit.
How dare we compete! This is where our weak society is headed.
Maybe in the near future, Massachusetts, and all other states, can, at the start of the season, just hand out a state championship trophy to every team in the state.
The games don't need to be played because...
well, somebody would lose...
and heaven forbid that happen to little Johnny (and, by the way, in our weak society Johnny can be a boy's AND a girl's name).
By doing this, Massachusetts, and all other states, would promote self-esteem.
What a crock! Oh, yeah...
Matt Owens' 18th birthday was Saturday.
I'm sure he was excited to be scoring the winning touchdown to give his school a state title on his birthday.
Instead, on the next play, after the penalty, Owens threw an interception.
Blue Hills HS went on to win the game, 16-12, and the state championship.
Think they celebrated?
Source...