Pinstripe Bowl – Bad Call?

The stage is set.

The lights are on.

The famous Yankee Stadium is transformed into a football field to host the first ever New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

This opening game will be fought between Syracuse and Kansas State.  With only 1:13 left in the 4th quarter, Kansas State completes a 30 yard touchdown pass to put them only 2 points behind Syracuse. Now, all they needed to do was convert a 2-point conversion. But wait….there’s a flag. The call:

Unsportsmanlike conduct on Kansas State. 15 yard penalty will be assessed on the conversion.

The commentators went ballistic. The flag was thrown when the receiver (shown above) saluted his fans in the stands.

Now, instead of a two point conversion from the 3 yard line, Kansas State must complete a 2 point conversion from the 18 yard line. They line up, hike the ball, throw it, get tackled, and lose the game in regulation.

Letter of the Law vs. Spirit of the Law

The commentators argued that the call was unwarranted. They argued that this was an instance when the letter of the law did not accurately represent the spirit of the law. The, “letter of the law” defines unsportsmanlike conduct as any celebration that draws attention to yourself as an individual. However, the “spirit of the law” is to prevent celebrations from getting out of hand to the point of taunting the other team.

Did the salute draw attention to the receiver? Yes; and by definition, this deserves the flag.

Was the player taunting the other team and showboating as he celebrated his 30 yard game changing TD reception? Absolutely not.

Should the referee have thrown the flag? In my opinion, I say yes. It is the referee’s career, profession, and job title to ensure that the game is played by the rules written on paper. The referee is not concerned with the spirit, or intentions, of the law – just the written law.

So who’s to blame? I point the finger at the authors of the law. Their intentions are obvious, but are not communicated well on paper. In my opinion, after this game, they should edit the law in order to narrow the focus. This is what happens when we beat around the bush with things and not say what needs to be said.

If you have something to say, be focused, articulate, and certain that your spirit and intentions are accurately represented in your communication.

I like Michael Vick as a person and as a football player

It seems like everyone around me starts to dog Vick as soon as I mention the Eagles.  They begin to tell me of how bad a person he is for what he did. They go on and on about how cruel he is to sit and watch poor innocent dogs maul one another to death.

Usually, my immediate response is how much I truly enjoy watching him play football. Not only does he run, but he is FAST! Not only does he run fast but his throws are accurate as they are powerful. His outstanding vision and decision making, partnered with the other mentioned attributes, make Michael Vick one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Their typical response is, “Well, I guess he is a good football player; but a terrible human being.”

Okay, typically I would brush this off as your respected opinion. But it really bothers me that, “Christians” are most of the people who hate Michael Vick, “as a person” and here’s why.

The facts:

Did Michael Vick commit a gruesome crime? Yes.

Was Michael Vick charged accurately? Yes.

Was Michael Vick given a trial before a judge? Yes.

Did the judge accurately condemn Michael Vick for his actions? Yes.

Did the judge appropriately sentence Michael Vick for his crime? Yes.

Has Michael Vick paid his debt to society, as determined by the judge, via 23 months in prison? YES.

So what is left for Vick to do?… Enjoy his freedom!

The result:

Michael Vick got caught of a crime, paid the punishment in full, and is now living a free man. We should honor the judge and respect Vick enough to share in his delight. Not continue to condemn him.

The theology:

Here is why it disturbs me so much when, “Christians” continue to condemn Vick;

Did we commit a gruesome crime? Yes. – sin against a Perfect God

Were we charged accurately? Yes. – our sin leaves us unsatisfied. Our discontent is our accuser.

Were we given a trial before a judge? Yes. – In Revelation, we will all stand before the throne of King Jesus.

Did the judge accurately condemn us for our actions? No. God accurately condemned Jesus in our place.

Did the judge appropriately sentence us for our crime? No. God appropriately sentenced Jesus to death.

Have we paid our debt, as determined by the judge? No. Jesus has fully paid our debt at the cross.

So what is left for us to do?… Enjoy our freedom! Given to us by Jesus

I guess it just perplexes me that a group of people who claim full forgiveness and justification refuse to offer the same to a man who paid his own debt to society in full.

So… what do you think about Michael Vick?