Tumwater High School running back Ronnie Hastie scored a touchdown on a 23-yard run in the second quarter of the team’s 63-27 2A state semifinal win over East Valley in Washington on Monday night. After Hastie scored, he dropped to one knee and pointed to the heavens. The referee threw a flag and said it was unsportsmanlike conduct…. “It’s usually one or two seconds long,” Hastie reportedly said, explaining that he has pointed up as a gesture to God after every touchdown he has scored. “It’s something I’ve done as a tradition.”
I’m no fan of Christianity (quelle surprise, I know….), but even I have to wonder at this sort of silliness. While I detest all forms of demonstrably overt religiosity, I can’t find it within myself to consider this sort of thing anything more than silly. This soon-to-once-again-be-deservedly-anonymous high school running back did nothing that thousands of other football players haven’t done before. It’s not as if he was engaging in a highly choreographed Terrell Owens-style touchdown dance. He got down on one knee and pointed to the sky. And the problem with this would be…?
It’s silly, and it’s overly religious…but so what? Who, really, is being harmed here? All that’s really happened is that an issue has been created where none need exist. Come back to me when the kid drops trou, grabs his ankles, and presents the lunar salute to fans of the opposing team, ‘kay??
Of course, this whole thing could have been assiduously avoided had Hastie followed the simple advice that my high school coach used to preach incessantly: when you get into the end zone, ACT LIKE YOU’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE!!
Thank you. That will be all….
