Should the Pats be running up the score on everybody in garbage time?

[kyro]

You know, the good thing is neither team is likely to get blown out this week so maybe we can stop arguing about it for a while.

[MCS]

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PTI (mike and wilbon (no subs, [censored] you dan, i hate you)

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I used to hate Le Batard, but I have softened on him somewhat. This is due largely to the fact that he generally strikes me as pretty logical, and specifically, he seems to be the only one who understands baseball concepts like "Healthy Barry Bonds is still an excellent hitter."

The most noteworthy item from his recent appearances was being clearly appalled at Kornheiser's WTF claim that Boston's 2-1 victory was "dominant," and refusing to give any TV picks, instead using the time to berate Kornheiser.

However, "bam" has got to go, and he needs to stop beating jokes and impressions and such into the ground.

[RacersEdge]

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Kornheiser's WTF claim that Boston's 2-1 victory was "dominant," and refusing to give any TV picks, instead using the time to berate Kornheiser

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Awesome. I don't follow any sportwriters specically, but Le Batard just got a gold star for this.

How does Kornheiser pull off getting marketed as a sports guy? Does he have any legitimacy at all?

[RunDownHouse]

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seriously, in baseball, when one team scores 8+ in an inning, no one says they're running up the score.

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You realize the Pats are constantly trotting out up a zillion in the bottom of the ninth and then giving the world the finger when called on it, right?

[giraffeboy77]

I've only skimmed through this thread but I totally agree with everyone who says people complaining about running up the score are whiny and dumb. I'm English and in our sports culture you play as hard as you can till the final whistle. If you get thrashed you get thrashed, don't cry, learn from it and get better, or don't play next time. If the other team are being douches about winning heavy, fair enough, just more incentive for you to beat their asses next time you meet.

I also agree with the poster who said it would be more insulting that a coach takes out his best players against his opponents, as if to say "you're done, play against the reserves for a while".

Also, I would imagine that the second string would play even harder, to prove to their coaches that they're worthy of a starting place next week, so maybe taking out your big guns isn't taking it that easy anyway? Or is the gulf in quality between starters and reserves that great?

And another thing, blatantly running down the clock sucks too.

[kyro]

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And another thing, blatantly running down the clock sucks too.

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yeah, we noticed you Brits didn't quite care for the ending of the Dolphins/Giants game.

[Jay Riall]

Totally agree with giraffeboy77 about everything he said - except the last statement. I was in the stadium for that and I just thought everyone was retarded for booing Eli for taking a knee and just don't understand the game atall.

[Vagos]

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they are sick of taking all the blame for something lots of teams were doing

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I'm amazed that Pats fans (which I am not) continue to say this as if it were proven fact. You don't even say "probably doing", just "were doing". This is fascinating because I haven't seen any proof that any of the other 31 teams did this, but I'd be happy to look at any articles or evidence that someone can provide me.

Not only did Belichick get caught doing it against Green Bay last year, a memo was sent out basically saying "DONT DO IT!" and then he did it again in the first game of the season.

Playing the "Patriots as the victim" card is so ridiculous.

[Vagos]

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The poker analogy is pretty irrelevant to the conversation. If you act like a douche up 38-0, that's uncalled for

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I would say celebrating and jumping around after winning a pot is similiar to Wes Welker spiking the football and jumping around when making it 45-0 in the 4th.

Steve Young said it yesterday and I totally agree...The Patriots play this whole "humble pie" role during the week but they don't act like it on Sunday.

[vhawk01]

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in that case obviously you are playing for something else. like money, or respect, or individual statistics, or a team record of some kind.

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But that's the point. They aren't playing for money. Financially, winning the SB is as big as it gets: there aren't bonuses in player or coach contracts for going undefeated, they're for winning the SB. There aren't tangible benefits for being the best in a statistical category; Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders might have been the best two-sport athletes ever, Jerry Rice is the best receiver, and all that's gotten them is a shot at Dancing With the Stars. It's the same story for respect, only with the added onus of that respect coming at a very grudging price, ie every one of your colleagues hating you.

At this point, it looks more like Belichick isn't playing for money, or pride - hard to be proud about being caught cheating, right? - or statistics. He's running up the score out of spite. And even if you think that the reward of going undefeated is worth it to Belichick, does that mean it's worth it to players he keeps in when they're up by 40 in the second half? Does Light care to risk ending his career because his team got caught cheating?

In the end, it's risk/reward analysis. And the rewards are so slim that I can't understand Brady accepting even a slight risk of injury. Maybe since Belichick isn't risking anything, really, it's easy for him to call a QB sneak in the third up by 40. And that's why it would be sweet justice for it to bite him in the ass when all is said and done.

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This post cannot be serious. You don't think there are tangible, financial benefits to putting up 55 TDs or catching 100 balls for 2000 yards and 20 TDs? You are being a little myopic here.