If A Player Is Down You "Take A Knee" Darn It!
I reckon fireman and soldiers also take a knee in certain circumstances.
Now this is over the top.
Just for those who do not know it is tradition and even a rule that when a player goes down in a team field sport the other participants first kneel down and stop motion. Especially in fast paced soccer and American football but also Lacrosse and Field hockey. The reasons are several. A sign of respect. An immediate halt in action. And ability to identify the injured and respond and yes even a time to pray for the injured and or give respect and thank whoever that it was not you.
The tradition crosses team lines and shows respect for a player from either team. We also sometimes see it in Basketball and baseball when the injury is clearly severe.
Perhaps it is also an ancient warrior code of respect for a fallen warrior of repute.
But someone just complained about this practice. Yes they really did.
We get down on bended knee for many reasons, sometimes it is just begging.
"Hat in hand, on bended knee"
This is a term that means that one asked equity and prays for help in time of trouble. It is ages old, since hats I suppose. It means to supplicate and ask that good and right be done. It is secular and is taught in all places, law school. It means almost that while I have no formal right to ask, I ask in the name of good.
It is used in international politics to suggest not a surrender but again a supplication to do the right thing and come to the aid of good when wrong seems to gain interest by strict application of policy or law.
In this and in the sports analogies it is a time of saying that "we know this is the way things are but in power and goodness make them better".
It is said that Americans are to first approach all enemies in this fashion before taking drastic action. It is a plea to abstain from further injury for all parties concerned.
In a court of law it is when one side simply goes to the court and says that a great inequity will be done unless you step in and prevent it although you are not compelled by law to do so, only by right. It is a huge part of balancing good verses strict adherence to inevitable consequences that are irreversible in nature. Like a restraining order against a crazed person before they have done wrong.
I point this out to let us see the secular nature of taking a knee and that it is humble without being religious.
Some strict rules make no sense.
And for those like me that take that knee and pray always remember the naysayers cannot stop us.
And so it was that a group objected.
Truly I say to you that a group objected to this practice and called it coach led prayer. Oh they got all flustered and made a big deal out of it and demanded that it stop. Clearly not one of the idiots had ever watched a soccer match of football game in their life but were willing to object to a time honored tradition and rule.
You think I joke, well I do not. (the source is biased but seems legit on this) http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/08/28/prayer-for-injured-teen-sparks-atheist-outrage/
I do not know what goes through the mind of an atheist child when he takes a knee for a fallen co-warrior. I almost do not care. I do not care what goes through a Buddhists' mind or a Native American mind. But for the tradition they had better take a knee an bow or at least act like it.
I reckon many of us approach sports and music like it is a religion.
Gentle sportsmen and women take that knee.
Salute those that have been before you and give thought to the fallen warrior. Get on bended knee and bow your head. And give some thought to a fallen comrade.
And then get you butts up and charge on and carry on in tradition and full speed ahead and win. Keep your head right there in the game, be careful but not too careful. And thank whoever you want to that you live in a land where sports are your right and tradition is noble and for good reason.
Let the non-parents of Freedom From Religion Foundation ring their bells and let not that effect you and your great honor in playing the sport you have chosen and the team you represent.
Shoot this one might be good enough to copy!
This article was written by Eric Dierker. I reserve all rights to this article and desire no duplication without attribution. On the other hand feel free to share the content just let folks know where it came from. Copying it and claiming it as your own would be stupid and subject you to my legal harassment of you. Besides if someone asked you what it meant you would not know so yes it is copyright protected as original work by me. Just leave a comment to ask to use it elsewhere and please share it.
To read more by this fascinating author visit www.thedierkerblog.com, Eric Dierker on Facebook and Pinterest and my sweet blog resipsaloquitor on google blogs.
OK I admit it, I need more publicity. If you steal this content please let me know so I can make a big deal out of it and get some press time.
