A question about NFL coaching ethics

[Rockytop6]

The smartest thing to do is to have the team in the best position possible to win in the playoffs and the SB. If that means sitting every player with any kind of minor injury then so be it. This game means nothing except a franchise record for the most wins in a season. The SB means everything.

I don't buy the "integrity of the game" argument for the fans' sake. A team doesn't owe the fans a chance to see all the starters for a full game if the game is meaningless.

As far as the question about tanking the game, that's not what's happening. I'm sure they would love to win this game and will be trying their best to win with the players they put out there. They just aren't going to risk everything for this game with HFA already wrapped up and the playoffs just around the corner.

I would guess the cheats will play their starters until they know they have the game wrapped up, but that's a little different. They are playing for a historical undefeated season.

I agree wholeheartedly. The Boys earned the right on the field of battle to have the bye week and to have the opportunity to rest their injured, wounded or older players or to do whatever is best for the team in the playoffs.

The teams that would benefit from a Dallas win have had their opportunities and failed, and now want Dallas to win their playoff participation for them. Neither does Dallas owe the Commanders anything either.

I listen to the phrase "integrity of the game."

This could be debated from many angles starting with the preseason games where the fans are forced to pay top dollar and see very little of the starters. We could address the problems with "officiating" when one bad call determines the outcome of a game. It is ironic that this is about the only time that the "integrity of the game" is mentioned - largely by those who have a vested interest in the game's outcome.

Don't use the excuse that the preseason games are for the benefit of evaluating talent and then ignore it when a couch can use a real game to evaluate backups on the team to help decide decisions on personnel for the future.

Make no mistake about it. Wade Phillips wants to win this game but he is using some, and maybe only a few, inexperienced but well trained personnel to try to win the game. We are not talking about a lack of effort or desire to win. Only to protect the wounded and not place at risk some of the other players. I expect a good effort and a good game. It would really be funny if Dallas should win. What would all the critics say then?

 

[peplaw06]

This is astounding to hear anyone say that.
That is your onion and I respect it but I beg to differ.
The Cowboys, like any business, owes its utmost to its fans
Without the fans, they are nothing.
Aside from the astoundinessitism of your comment, do you think Jerra would ever utter that in public?
I think not, Mr. Pep.

By all means then, go sue them. See how far you get. Again go back and read. Our team owes no contractual duty to their fans. It's a business, and as a business they will make smart decisions in order to STAY in business. But as far as contractual duty, there's nothing.

Go read the terms on the back of your next game ticket. All a ticket is, is a license to sit in a certain place at a certain time. It's not a contract. You can be thrown out of the game for some things, and it doesn't matter if you have a ticket or not, it's not a contract and you can't sue them on a contractual claim.

That's not even talking about the fact that this game is in Washington.

Oh and if you're NOT going to the game, and are planning on watching it on TV, then your claim is even more ridiculous.

Look I'm not saying that you don't have any power as a fan. You have the power to stop buying merchandise, tickets and concessions at the game, but as far as the team having some duty to you, you're SOL.

In a purely economical sense you may have some kind of point, but it's not a very good one. The pure economics of it dictate that a team would do everything in its power to be successful in the big picture, not for one game.

Strategic wise, there is a lot in what you say.

The big question -- and I have not seen anyboody address this:

Does the NFL have any express written consent to mandate that its teams NOT give less than 100% to achieve quality control?

No they don't. That's the assumption the league makes, and most teams go by it. But it's commonplace for teams to sit players on the last week when it's a meaningless game for a playoff team. If there was some type of written obligation for the team to give 100% then the league would step in. Do you really think Goodell would forego any chance to flex the muscle of his position?

That's also why many years there is discussion in the media as to whether a team should tank the season to get a better draft pick, and that's why the NBA has a draft lottery. This year it just so happens that there has been no doubt as to who was going to have the worst record for the last 8 games.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

By all means then, go sue them.

Oh and if you're NOT going to the game, and are planning on watching it on TV, then your claim is even more ridiculous.

Sue? No way? You see, tanking or not, it's subjective and hard to prove

I am talking ethics, not the actual outcomes of games because tanking happens all the time. Ethics, not merchandising, through the purchase of a ticket or buying a cap or watching advertisements on TV to get the game.

Ethics.

The NFL will deny and teams will deny EVER tanking, though it happens. And by the denials at the highest levels there is an ad hoc servium vitus to the Ipso factor (Jurius vs. Hangum 15 circuit court, maybe, sort of) that the NFL HAS TO keep some decorum. And that decorum means not admitting to such things.

Well, a fine discussion by all.
Thank you.

 

[03EBZ06]

To me, it's pretty simple.

The fans know that you won't see starters playing much, if any and know that the team made this choice.

You, as a fan, also have a choice...to go or not to go. If you don't feel as if you are getting your money's worth, then the decision is not to go.