A First Amendment defense group called Freedom From Religion Foundation is requesting an investigation into the practices of a high school football team after video emerged of a coach-led prayer before a game in Norman.
What?! No prayer in football? Are they also going to make us order salads from the Braums drive-thru? These godless heathens were probably just mad the kids werent all wearing Colin Kaepernick jerseys.
OK; in all seriousness, the groups fight to preserve a separation between church and state has merit. No one is saying a coach or player has to quit practicing their religion; they just should not be imposing their personal beliefs on anyone else in a tax-funded setting.
In the video, as reported by News 9, a Norman High School football coach can be seen hovering over his kneeling players and asking for the Lords wisdom.
This being Oklahoma, buckle of the Bible Belt, there are certainly many to jump in defense of the coachs actions. But how many would be as supportive if the coach was leading an Islamic prayer?
Norman Public Schools declined to comment to News 9 at the time of the report because the district claims it had just learned about the complaint.
While, ideally, public prayer should be left out of state football games, this instance in Norman is likely far from a one-off occurrence. Truly separating religion and football is a tall order in a state where football has, over the years, become a religion in and of itself.
Plus, it is hard to keep prayer off the football fields when state lawmakers and our own governor have literally asked the state to bring it to the oil fields. Remember 2016s Oilfield Prayer Day? Sheesh. If that does not tell you everything you need to know about this state, were not sure what will.