Q: Is it true that the NFL has a specific rule that players can’t take a knee and say a short prayer in the end zone? Also, will a penalty flag be thrown?
—Don White, Atlanta
A: The NFL doesn't have a rule against taking a knee and praying in the end zone, but players are "prohibited from engaging in any celebrations or demonstrations while on the ground," a league spokesman told Q&A on the News in an email.
Unsportsmanlike conduct includes “prolonged or excessive celebrations or demonstrations by an individual player,” he wrote.
A player can be flagged if he “continues to celebrate or demonstrate after a warning from an official.”
In 2014, the NFL said Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Husain Abdullah shouldn’t have been penalized for going to his knees and praying in the end zone after returning an interception for a touchdown.
But the NFL Referees Association countered by saying Abdullah was penalized for his slide in the end zone, not for the prayerful act.
“On field officials are aware of the prayer provision and respect the right of players of all faiths to express themselves,” the NFLRA president said in a statement at the time.
Q: What’s happened to Lara Spencer, who was on “Good Morning America” for several years? She hasn’t been on the show recently.
—Jean Buik, Duluth
A: Spencer is recovering from having hip replacement surgery last month.
She decided to have surgery after experiencing hip pain for years, an abcnews.com article stated.
Spencer is “feeling great,” she told her co-hosts on Tuesday.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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