Ok.. so, in professional sports.. let's take football for example.. If a team is beating another team something like.. oh, I don't know 56 to 10 on the losing teams home turf.. Or if they are just plain beating a team, and there is no hope that the other team will catch up.. and it is the last few mins of the 4th quarter of the game.. should they continue to take all opportunities to score?? Or should they just run the ball, and "leave the other team with some dignity" as my husband puts it.
I say that it is more insulting to the losing team, for the winning team to "play down" so that they feel better..
My husband says that it is more professional if they exercise some ethics, and just give the other guys a break..
who do you agree with???? thanks!
2007-11-22 15:01:13 · 19 answers · asked by Noah's Mommy 4 in Sports ➔ Football (American)
I think your husband is correct....just run the ball, run out the clock, and walk away with a convincing victory. Everyone knows the better team has won, so there is no need to add more to the score.
2007-11-22 15:05:51 · answer #1 · answered by lmspencr 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋
While not running up the score is seen as respect to the other team...
ITS THE NFL... The highest level
If the team can't hold the other team back thats their problem.
The Patriots kicked the crap out of the Bills, we all know that.
It's the Bills problem that they couldn't stop them. Why should the Patriots play to their level? They don't need to stop being the better team just to make the Bills feel like they are better.
If the team is up by a lot, both playing down and running up the score mean the same thing... The other team can't hang.
2007-11-22 23:15:32 · answer #2 · answered by rckeeper5 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Great questionan and you are right. Look, great coaches look at the big picture, not what is just right in front of them. Intimidation for the next game might be a reason to keep running up the score. Psychology is HUGE in sports. Maybe your team is playig the number one team the next week and you need them to have confidence. Plus, who is to say next time you play the losing team, they won't do better. If you ease up and give them a few points that might motivate them for next time. You must look at the big picture.
Another thing to think about is trying plays you haven't perfected yet. This is is a great opportunity for live practice. Also you can put in your second stringers to give them experience, but you still try to win. People look at a blowout in basketball and see the coach putting in second and third stringers, and think the coach is being nice. They aren't doing it for the other team to save face, they are doing it to give their players experience.
Lastly, I totally agree with you. It would be a complete insult to the other team to have "pity" on them. That is just cruel and unethical. Anyone who has ever played sports knows the golden rule of sports is always try your best, win or lose.
Have hubby fix the lunches, you go coach the local soccer team!
2007-11-22 23:22:14 · answer #3 · answered by catmandu 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I agree with your husband in theory. There is no reason to run up the score and humiliate the other team regardless of where it is being pkayed, but is is no done on account of the winning team not trying as hard. It is a great opportunity for the back up players to get some game experience and play - they will still try hard but may not execute as well and therefore they aren't "running up the score" but are still trying just as hard. The added benefit is that your starters and stars have less risk of being exposed to an injury when they sit down once the game is firmly in hand.
2007-11-22 23:18:00 · answer #4 · answered by christopher o 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Its a game, if you are winning why should you just lay down and stop playing the best you can, why not just keep playing and score more points.. You are on the field to win the game against the other team so go all out and win!
2007-11-22 23:44:55 · answer #5 · answered by jojo 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A decent coach would put in their second or third string of players to give them some playing time (and give the first string a needed break). Hopefully that evens out the playing field and the losing team can hold their own until the game finally ends. So, in my humble but accurate opinion (lol), you're husband is correct.
2007-11-22 23:09:54 · answer #6 · answered by mJc 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
First off i think both of you offer a valid point of view but i think you are correct on some level. The winning team should rest all starters but since second and third stringers don't really get as much playing time they should get to try to play at the best of their abilities
2007-11-22 23:11:17 · answer #7 · answered by Ben T 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When the game was clearly out of hand in the 4th quarter, the Patriots should have only run the ball, and punted or attempted a field goal on 4th down (if it ever came to that).
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2007-11-22 23:12:49 · answer #8 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
In the NFL, one of the reasons to score as many points as possible is because that is one of the tie-breakers to determine playoff seeding. I don't think it has ever gotten to that point where two teams are tied in overall record, division record, conference record, etc. where they then need to use the total points tie breaker, but it does show that under the rules, there is this incentive to score as many points as possible.
2007-11-22 23:07:31 · answer #9 · answered by shark 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
what you do is you run the ball up the gut and if after 2 downs and you need to throw it you throw. No throwing the ball until 3rd down if there is an opening and you can run an 80 yard TD run take it but do not purposely run up the score
2007-11-22 23:06:00 · answer #10 · answered by tvollmzer246 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋