Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Yahoo Sports recently reported that a Texas high school track team was disqualified last week and under odd circumstances. One of the runners crossed the finished line and then pointed to the sky. There has apparently been debate over whether the sprinter was disqualified because it was religious or unsportsmanlike.
“There was unsportsmanlike conduct,” Robert O’Connor, superintendent of Columbus Independent School District, said. “If there was just a point to God, we would be going to Austin for state.”
It is always unfortunate when an incident like this mars what should have just been another day at the track.
Derrick Hayes, the sprinter disqualified, has said that it was not a religious incident too.
“Although I am very thankful for all God has given me and blessed me with … my actions upon winning the 4×100 relay were strictly the thrill of victory,” Hayes said to Yahoo Sports. “With this being said, I do not feel my religious rights or freedoms were violated.”
Not sure who wins here. I understand wanting to keep high school athletes in check as far as sportsmanship and I hvae not seen video of the play in question, but I’m just not sure it is getting quite the right point across. These young athletes watch guys like Usain Bolt express himself freely on the field and honestly it makes the events more exciting. Guess that is just the world we live in.
You can follow Dave on twitter @AllDave_AllDay or like his Facebook page here.
