What Were You Thinking About Before the Big Kick? January 6, 2012

What Were You Thinking About Before the Big Kick?

By Hemant Mehta
January 6, 2012

Jordan Williamson, the Stanford kicker, missed two crucial field goals in the Fiesta Bowl — including one that would have won the game in regulation. (Start at the 5:00 mark)

You don’t see this in the video, but before the kick that would’ve won the game, Williamson looked to be Tebowing on the sideline:

Looks like God didn’t care much for the public display of faith.

…

On the flip side, kicker Brendan Gibbons of the University of Michigan had to kick a field goal in overtime to win the Sugar Bowl for his team.

He didn’t pray.

Here’s how that worked out for him:

So what was Gibbons thinking about before the big kick?

Brunettes.

Tim Tebow might want to rethink his strategy before his playoff game this Sunday.

(via Derek at the Illini Secular Student Alliance)

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What Are Your Thoughts?leave a comment

  • Being a VA Tech grad, I was also praying that the VA Tech kicker would make his and that the UM kicker would miss.  More evidence that prayer doesn’t work!

  • I think it’s a bit of a stretch to construe that just because his head’s down, he’s praying.  Sure, statistically, he probably is, but I do that all the time in order to focus myself before climbing competitions and for me, it’s just a breathing exercise.

  • Reginald Selkirk

    I think this is a bit of a stretch.
    1) He was on the sideline, not out on the field.
    2) He’s sitting there with his head down and his hands clenched together. He could be praying, or not. It’s just not clear.

  • How you can call that as “Tebowing” is stretching it. I don’t know anything about this guy, but that just looks like how I would be sitting if I were about to go out on the field and have to perform under pressure. Bent over, trying to gather thoughts. 

  • For all you know God never even entered into his mind. Probably not the best idea to create theists where they may not even exist.

  • That is definitely a “God, please don’t let me throw up in my helmet” position.

  • Anonymous

    This post was a real stretch. 

  • Bob Becker

    Yup. And… whether he was praying or not… a cheap shot. Piling on when someone’s down and doubtless feeling rotten enough already. 

     I expect this kind of thing from  fundies.  From M I expect better.

  • Staggerlee2

    That is certainly not Tebowing, he has to be down on one knee. He may or may not be praying or he could be psyching himself up, envisioning his kick, asking the universe to make the kick good (ala the Secret ooooweeeooooooo).

    Gotta agree with other posters, it is a bit of a stretch. I know this was meant to be tongue in cheek but kinda weak.

  • Erp

    I agree; this is stretching it.   I can’t imagine the pressure that was on the poor sophomore; he was probably just trying to collect his thoughts (and I suspect many religious people use private ritual prayer to do that anyway). 

    I know Stanford, and, we are  a fairly secular place (we do have three chaplains but it is debatable how many believe in a god that most Christians would recognize [my guess is 1]).   I admit that some of the athletes may be among the more religious students, but, Stanford was also accused of not hiring a particular coach back in 2002 because he was Christian (I suspect at most he wasn’t hired because one of his religious views included denigration of gays and lesbians; the previous coach who left for a better job was openly Christian).  

  • Anonymous

    As a Wolverine, I was so proud of Gibbons’ refreshingly honest yet silly answer… for the record, I hear his girlfriend is blonde! Go Blue!

  • Anonymous

    It appears Brunettes are who the players should be thanking.  I’m guessing that Gibbons might have done just that soon after the press conference.

  • Guest

    Laces out, Dan?

  • Aaron Scoggin

    I played football for four years, and that was the pose I used when I was getting my shit together. It was completely about mental preparation and “zoning in.” God never entered my mind. I think this is a waste of a post, really.

  • Derek Miller

    The picture Hemant used for Williamson isn’t supposed to be of him praying. In fact, the cameras did not catch a picture of him praying. We know he did the Tebow pose because of eyewitness accounts at the game and on twitter.

    http://offthebench.nbcsports.com/2012/01/03/was-stanford-kicker-tebowing-before-missed-field-goals-at-fiesta-bowl/ 

    Thanks for pointing to me, Hemant!

  • I can say from experience that brunette girls do have the ability to train my mind.

  • Weighfirst

    They INDEED showed him on one knee. I clearly saw it and could’ve set my
    DVR to record it and upload but figured everyone else would do it.  Looks like no one did. He was on one knee with head bowed, not just that pose on the bench. I swear to…..

  • Anonymous

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