>>>>>>The New England Patriots won the coin toss, and elected to slap the living bejeezus out of the Redskins.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>This is a road beating that makes L.A. cop videos look more like "Driving Miss Daisy"....
>>>>>
>>>>>In related news... Bill Belichek is a perfect example of poor sportsmanship for running the score up.
>>>>
>>>>No, poor sportsmansip would be sending out 7 instead of 11 guys on defense, telling the other team "We'll let you have the next one" or punting the wrong direction to help the other team out.
>>>>
>>>>This isn't youth soccer. You play 100% all the time and the idea of the game is to score points, not keep from hurting anybody's feelings. Nothing is more insulting that telling they other team "Hey, good try and consider how badly you suck you've been doing a real fine job so will just let you run up some 'participation' points."
>>>>
>>>>At the pro level you are supposed to find out what the score would be if both teams are giving 100% all the time. The only reason to dial it back is to take out a franchise player you don't want to risk.
>>>>
>>>>Anything else is insulting to the other team and to The Game.
>>>
>>>
>>>I will go further than the standard "I disagree with you" and say you are wrong. Not being hostile, but you are. One of the unspoken rules of sports is you don't run up the score. Not only from the POV of sportsmanship but from pure self-interest. Why give the other team a grudge when there is no need to?
>>>
>>>Where did you get the idea that the point is to find out what the score would be with both teams giving 100%? The point is to win, period. Once the issue of winning and losing is no longer in doubt there is no secondary objective of determining the "right" score. There are no domination points or style points in the NFL standings. It. Doesn't. Matter.
>>
>>We are not on the same page on this one, for sure. When I played ball, I played 100% all the time. If we were ahead by a mile when I came to bat, I still tried to get a hit; I did not strike out on purpose so as not to run up the score and make the opposing pitcher feel better.
>>
>>Magic Johnson once said of Larry Bird, "looking into his eyes was like looking in the eyes of an assassin." That's the attitude that made Bird great - not spending time worrying about the opponents' feelings.
>>
>>These guys are pros. If their feelings are hurt, tough. Their job is to score points and to stop the other guys from scoring points. If they can't do one or the other, then they can have hurt feelings all they want, but they'll get no sympathy from me. Their job too is to go all out whenever they are on the field. If they don't they should be benched.
>>
>>If you're playing t-ball with 10 year olds, then yes, I agree, but these guys are not 10 years old.
>
>
>You're right, we don't agree. Which is OK. I will let it go, other than observing that there is a difference between baseball and football. In baseball the pitcher throws the ball and the batter tries to hit it. That never changes and it shouldn't. In football, though, you have a choice of what plays to call, whether to call timeouts, whether to go for it on 4th down, and so on. Making certain choices is going out of your way to make the other team look bad.
>
>OK, over and out on this one. My opinion is clear at this point and people are free to agree or disagree.

Mike I respect and have always respected your opinion. Disagreeing is just disagreeing, but before I leave this alone, I just want to mention the one thing that nobody seems to have addressed in this discussion, and that's the next time the teams meet. Will the losers be able to get themselves up for the rematch, or will they end up beating themselves? A team can be it's own worst enemy by either being afraid of the rematch, or, in their zeal, by playing against themselves as much as against their opponent. Part of the strategy of any contest in any league is to look to the rematch. If you can get the other team beating themselves up even before the rematch, then you're job will be that much easier.