Football question

[Alpo]

Can someone that's a football fan explain to me the problem, here?

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=jc-cole_saints_brees_record_dan_marino_falcons112711

 

I don't follow football, so I'm guessing at what this is about.

 

The Saints were so far ahead that there was no chance Atlanta could catch up? So they should have, by the "unwritten rule", coasted and let the clock run out, so Atlanta would not look so bad? So Atlanta would only lose by ten points instead of by twenty?

 

But instead of coasting, the Saints continued to play, so that one of their players set a record?

 

And that's an unsportmanlike thing?

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

In the NFL, a 22 point lead with 5+ minutes to go is not safe. Once you start coasting players lose their edge and the lead gets blown.

 

Either play the game or get off the field.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

Can someone that's a football fan explain to me the problem, here?

 

http://sports.yahoo....o_falcons112711

 

I don't follow football, so I'm guessing at what this is about.

 

The Saints were so far ahead that there was no chance Atlanta could catch up? So they should have, by the "unwritten rule", coasted and let the clock run out, so Atlanta would not look so bad? So Atlanta would only lose by ten points instead of by twenty?

 

But instead of coasting, the Saints continued to play, so that one of their players set a record?

 

And that's an unsportmanlike thing?

 

Gimme a break - they are professional players and play hard to the end! They don't mamby pamby around.

 

GG ~

[Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363]

The only way for a "score to get run up" is for the opposing team to allow it to happen.

 

If the Falcons' defense had been up to the task, they wouldn't have gotten taken to the woodshed.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

I agree, these are professional players, or at least should be. If you don't want to lose play harder.

 

Sometimes the players have to overcome the front office as well as the opposition. That is the name of the game in pro sports I guess.

 

If you are afraid of losing, get off the field.

[Old Scatterbrain]

I don't follow football (or any other sports), and in fact don't even know how it's played, beyond 2 groups of guys trying to reach opposite ends of the pasture. That said, I just read the same story this morning, and this sounds to me like more left-wing "fairness" nonsense.

 

If I were in a very lopsided contest with someone who suddenly started taking it easy on me, I would consider that far more insulting than if they just continued to play the game to their full ability.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

I don't follow football (or any other sports), and in fact don't even know how it's played, beyond 2 groups of guys trying to reach opposite ends of the pasture. That said, I just read the same story this morning, and this sounds to me like more left-wing "fairness" nonsense.

 

If I were in a very lopsided contest with someone who suddenly started taking it easy on me, I would consider that far more insulting than if they just continued to play the game to their full ability.

 

 

That pretty well sums it up in my book, too.

 

Contrary to current myth, sports events only have ONE winner. the other team(s) are losers.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

I don't follow football (or any other sports), and in fact don't even know how it's played, beyond 2 groups of guys trying to reach opposite ends of the pasture. That said, I just read the same story this morning, and this sounds to me like more left-wing "fairness" nonsense.

 

If I were in a very lopsided contest with someone who suddenly started taking it easy on me, I would consider that far more insulting than if they just continued to play the game to their full ability.

 

Ditto that!

 

GG ~

[Subdeacon Joe]

Some of it I don't quite get either. Sounds like they only scored once after they had pretty much put the game in their pocket. Who is to say that if they had stuck to running plays they wouldn't have scored the same? And a runner who has broken away won't run out of bounds to "keep from running up the score." The Falcs must have known going in that if Brees was close to getting the record NO would go for it. The final score isn't all that outrageous. Now, if there was nothing on the line, then I would say, yeah, maybe they should have coasted. Some of that is just being practical, why push and increase the risk of injury to your players?

[Old Scatterbrain]

why push and increase the risk of injury to your players?

That certainly is a good point.

[Three Foot Johnson]

I don't understand the situation either. Apparently, when the winning team is XX points up, they're supposed to take a break and wait for the losing team to catch up...?

[Subdeacon Joe]

That certainly is a good point.

 

Thanks. You see that happening all the time. Game is wrapped up, so they put in the back up QB, or maybe the 3rd sting QB, give the second stringers some play time. I guess you could call it resource management.

 

But here, 30 yards from your QB setting a record? Go for it. And, as Mo said, it was a 22 point spread with 5 min. left. That is three TDs, with one 2 point conversion. Look at these:

 

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/12/jets-beat-redskins-34-19-on-3-tds-in-3-minutes-late-in-4th--69914.html

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/10/30/cardinals-build-three-touchdown-lead-in-baltimore/

The Cardinals lead 24-3 late in the first half after putting up three touchdowns in less than five minutes in the second quarter.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

Some of that is just being practical, why push and increase the risk of injury to your players?

 

When players start taking it easy, they get injured more easily.

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

When players start taking it easy, they get injured more easily.

 

 

Very good point

 

GG ~

[Noz]

If it were a Junior High game then it would be considered "running up the score" Pro game, give me a break. Record to be broken, home field, Monday Night TV audience go for it. Good TV.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Well, another angle, it is a blog, and the guy had to write something.

 

Perhaps when he was playing T ball as a kid, he couldn't hit the ball and

felt that the others were taking advantage of him. So now he is into football.

Pro ball at that. Different game, same rules?

[Black Harris #154]

Start shaving points or adjusting the point spread and you could make some very mean men angry.

 

BH

[Jacknife]

The number of points scored and the number of points allowed are tie breakers in the playoff picture.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

Capt Billy wrote in another thread:

 

My grandson plays basketball in a 12 and under league in California. His team was told because they beat the other team by more than 30 points that they would have to write a letter of apology to the other team...rules are rules...

Similar line of reasoning on the part of the reporter, or so it would seem.

[Cypress Sun]

Remember the old "prevent defense"????? The only thing it ever prevented was the team was 20 points ahead from winning. Once you have the other team down, don't let them back up.

[Trigger Mike]

I thought the game was rigged. In the 3rd quarter when Atlanta intercepted the ball the guy fell down and took his time getting up and barely ran at all, even the announcer wondered about his lack of running and said, "he better run". Atlanta seems to do that sometimes, it looks like the purposely fail to take advantage of opprtunities and purposely lose like they were being paid to lose or something. I also noticed how the anouncers sang N O 's praises like they were the foregone winner.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Remember the old "prevent defense"????? The only thing it ever prevented was the team was 20 points ahead from winning. Once you have the other team down, don't let them back up.

 

I learned that in a fist fight in the third grade.

[Guest Chief]

Try looking at it like this, you are playing golf and are on the last hole and you are ahead 7 strokes, do you forsake a par 3 putt, just so it dosen't look so bad for the other guy? You would get laughed off the course.

[Rye Miles #13621]

Try looking at it like this, you are playing golf and are on the last hole and you are ahead 7 strokes, do you forsake a par 3 putt, just so it dosen't look so bad for the other guy? You would get laughed off the course.

 

Same thing applies to our sport. Ya don't slow down so ya won't beat the second guy too bad I think the unwritten law is been "unwritten"

[Bugs Bonney SASS # 10171]

I don't understand the situation either. Apparently, when the winning team is XX points up, they're supposed to take a break and wait for the losing team to catch up...?

 

The Packers have been doing it all year. Then those brutes in Kansas City wouldn't let them. Ruined their perfect season, I'm sure the Packers fewel bad about themselves now.

 

Bugs

[Long Branch Louie]

That's why I wouldn't let my daughter play in a local kid's basketball program. They don't keep score, so "everybody" wins...how's that gonna teach a kid to work harder if they want to get better at something?

[Noz]

 

 

Quote

My grandson plays basketball in a 12 and under league in California. His team was told because they beat the other team by more than 30 points that they would have to write a letter of apology to the other team...rules are rules...

 

the whole explanation for this is in the location.

It's California! What else would you expect?

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

Same issue arose during some prior Patriots' seasons - whining, primarily by coaches and sports writers, when Pats and Bill Belichick would not "ease up" even after "running up" 20-30 point leads.

 

Hey...in earlier seasons, we had to sit shivering in the stands as the Pats LOST by 30 points; we were ENTITLED to watch them win by that kind of spread when the tables were turned.

 

It's a grown-ups game, and the object is to WIN; politically correct "adjustment" of the score has no place in it.

 

LL

[Snake River Clay SASS #34984]

I always hated to see a team let up when they had a big lead. Not fair for players getting close to bonuses for performance or a player looking for a better contract.

[Jackson Rose, SASS #45478]

Remember the "Heidi" game. "It ain't over until it's over!"

[Chickahominy Charlie]

I've coached kids for the past 9 years -- mostly baseball since it's my passion.

 

About 5 years ago, my church started Upwards Basketball. They don't keep score either. That didn't really matter to me. Knowing that I had coached baseball before, members asked me to take a team, so I coached my daughter's team. Although my duties as coach included a praise and worship time at practice and memorizing Bible verses, I also taught my girls how to play the game. They were young (mostly 8 and 9 year olds), so I didn't complicate things too much. We did a bunch of lay-up drills ("We should never miss the easy shots"), dribbling drills ("You should be able to keep your head up when you dribble so you can see who's open"), blocking out drills ("They should only get one shot per possession"), and passing drills ("You can't do it all by yourself. When there's more than one defender on you, somebody else is open.").

 

Well, score or no score, my girls pounded the other teams. Substitutions are dictated by the program, so I had no way of impacting that. The contests were decidedly lopsided -- mostly because no one else taught their girls to play the game.

 

I was asked "not to coach" the next season.

 

I guess that says all I need to say about that subject.

 

Chick

[Alpo]

That's why I wouldn't let my daughter play in a local kid's basketball program. They don't keep score, so "everybody" wins...how's that gonna teach a kid to work harder if they want to get better at something?

 

I really don't see how "keeping score" teaches you to work harder.

 

Let's say I was on a neighborhood basketball team, or a church team or something like that. Me, three other guys my of ability, and Michael Jordan. We would win. Every game, we would win. With scores like, oh maybe 286 to 4. Would that huge score help me and the other three guys to work harder? Nope, 'cause Michael's winning the game. We are just out there on the court with him.

 

Or how about a game of "best ball" golf. My foursome is me, Arnie, Jack and Tiger. We went around in 12 under. We won. Yea us. Did it make me any better? No, I still shot 130, but we went around in 60.

 

The score don't matter. What you did against the other team don't matter. It's what you did, compared to what you did last time, that matters. That's what makes you improve.

 

Al(s'pose anybody could tell I don't play team sports?)po

[Buckshot Frank]

Kind of an unwritten rule, but I don't really subscribe to it (and I'm a Falcons fan). Last week, the Falcons were killing the Jags. They put their backup QB in and did nothing but hand the ball off. On the Falcons last drive, they were inside the 10 yard line and handed off on third and long. On forth and long, instead of kicking a field goal, they ran the ball up the middle again and turned it over on downs just to avoid running up the score. Classy move I guess, but I'd rather them just play it out.

 

In the NO game, the shoe was on the other foot and I had no problem with NO continuing to score; especially considering that Brees was going for an all-time record. One reason for NO to not have done it though, is because the teams might play each other in the playoffs in two weeks. Will the Falcons be mad about NO running up the score and use it as motivation, or will the beat-down demorilize the Falcons so they have no confidence in the rematch???