Bob Sanders on running up the scores

[Dave_in-NC]

Sanders should be worried about doing his job instead of what he will do if the Pats run up the score. Sounds to me like the Pats have won the game before it started.

They were talking about that Monday on the Moving The Chains radio show.
I don't remember who it was but he said the same thing. The Pats are in every ones head and winning the mental battle before the game is even played. It makes sense and Sanders just proved it, if that is in fact what he said.

 

[Idgit]

No it's not obvious. If it was so obvious, why does literally every professional team sport with a clock have the same unwritten rule of etiquette -- that you don't run up the score when the game has been decided? That would tend to show that the opposite is actually the obvious.

Can you get me a link to these unwritten rules of etiquette? I don't need one for every professional team sport with a clock--just one will do. If you can't find a link, any other piece of evidence other than your best guess about what's popular consensus will suffice.

Yeah I'm sure you never act out when you feel disrespected.

I do all sorts of inappropriate things, and I didn't mean to imply that I didn't. I don't do all of the inappropriate things that occur to me in a fit of sentimentality, though, which was my point.

If the Pats continue to be scumbags, why does the rest of the league have to sit back and take it?

The league shouldn't take it. They should maybe take a draft pick away or something. Or maybe their reputation should be tarnished among the NFL fanbase. What they *shouldn't* do is allow people to start illegally targeting their players.

And who said Sanders was going to hit Brady illegally?

Sanders said it when he said the 15 yards was going to hurt the Pats more than it was going to hurt the Colts. That's the whole point of the debate. A clean hit on Brady is a no-brainer.

So you can blindside a guy yards away from the play because he's not paying enough attention, but you can't hit a guy who touches the ball every offensive play? Makes sense.

What a simple way of looking at things... and completely naive.

You've left off the 'illegal' part of hitting the guy who touches the ball on every offensive play. I'll give you that it's a simple way of looking at it: one play is legal and the other is not. I'm not sure I get why it's naive, though. Perhaps that's my naivette talking, though.

Classic. There's no such thing as running up the score?? Then what the hell are all these people talking about? Maybe you should go on a campaign to educate the entire league. I'm sure they'd find you a highly credible source.

There are places on the internet where people spend an awful lot of time talking about Santa and Unicorns, too. I don't have a good answer for you as to why they do it.

Maybe you can just point me to the section of Running Up the Score in the NFL rulebook and I can back down and won't have to resort to trying to educate the league. That'd be a real time-saver.

Oh and another thing. How do you determine what someone's intentions are? Do they usually tell you? If Belicheck were intending to run up the score, do you think he'd come out and say it?

Of course not.

Instead, you have to judge a person's/team's intent by their actions. And there's not a doubt in my mind that Belicheck intended to run up the score. I determined that after one play (the pass to Moss), and the others confirmed it.

Actually, my point was that it's not relevant what the other team's intentions are--beyond the fact that their offense intends to score and their defense intends to stop you. I think Belicheck's actions support that, too.

 

[peplaw06]

Can you get me a link to these unwritten rules of etiquette? I don't need one for every professional team sport with a clock--just one will do. If you can't find a link, any other piece of evidence other than your best guess about what's popular consensus will suffice.

If they're unwritten, then there's no link. I thought you might be able to figure that out. And would other pieces of evidence include every time you watch one of these sports and see a team call off the dogs at the end of blowouts? And how about the evidence that people in these sports complain when teams don't do that? Is that sufficient?

I do all sorts of inappropriate things, and I didn't mean to imply that I didn't. I don't do all of the inappropriate things that occur to me in a fit of sentimentality, though, which was my point.

I'm sure the players in the NFL don't always do what comes into their minds either. Sometimes they do.

The league shouldn't take it. They should maybe take a draft pick away or something. Or maybe their reputation should be tarnished among the NFL fanbase. What they *shouldn't* do is allow people to start illegally targeting their players.

Sanders said it when he said the 15 yards was going to hurt the Pats more than it was going to hurt the Colts. That's the whole point of the debate. A clean hit on Brady is a no-brainer.

So if they hit him legally with an intent to injure, you're okay with that?? Good to know.

You've left off the 'illegal' part of hitting the guy who touches the ball on every offensive play. I'll give you that it's a simple way of looking at it: one play is legal and the other is not. I'm not sure I get why it's naive, though. Perhaps that's my naivette talking, though.

The naive remark was in response to your insistence that unwritten rules don't exist.

There are places on the internet where people spend an awful lot of time talking about Santa and Unicorns, too. I don't have a good answer for you as to why they do it.

First of all, we have players who are either in the league or have been in the past talking about these unwritten rules. Then we have you... someone who has never played in the NFL... saying they don't exist. hmm... who to believe??? I'm so conflicted.

Maybe you can just point me to the section of Running Up the Score in the NFL rulebook and I can back down and won't have to resort to trying to educate the league. That'd be a real time-saver.

Capt. Ross: Corporal Barnes, I hold here the Marine Corps Outline for Recruit Training. You're familiar with this book?
Cpl. Barnes: Yes, sir.
Capt. Ross: You've read it?
Cpl. Barnes: Yes, sir.
Capt. Ross: Good. Would you open it up to the chapter that deals with code reds, please?
Cpl. Barnes: Sir?
Capt. Ross: Just flip open to the page of the book that talks about code reds.
Cpl. Barnes: Well, sir code red is a term that we use, I mean, just down at Gitmo, I really don't think that...
Capt. Ross: Ah, we're in luck then. Standard Operating Procedures, Rifle Security Company, Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Now I assume we'll find the term code red and its definition in that book. Am I right?
Cpl. Barnes: No sir.
Capt. Ross: Coporal Barnes, I'm a Marine. Is there no book. No pamphlet or manual, no regulation or set of written orders or instructions that lets me know that, as a Marine, one of my duties is to perform code reds?
Cpl. Barnes: No sir. No book, sir.
Capt. Ross: No further questions.
[as Ross walks back to his table Kaffee takes the book out of his hand]
Kaffee: Corporal would you open this book up to the part that says that where the mess hall is.
Cpl. Barnes: Well, Lt Kaffey, that's not in the book either, sir.
Kaffee: You mean to say the entire time you've been at Gitmo you've never had a meal?
Cpl. Barnes: No, sir. Three squares a day, sir.
Kaffee: Well, I don't understand. How did you know where the mess hall was if it wasn't in this book?
Cpl. Barnes: I guess I just followed the crowd at chow time, sir.
Kaffee: Thanks. No more questions.

Actually, my point was that it's not relevant what the other team's intentions are--beyond the fact that their offense intends to score and their defense intends to stop you. I think Belicheck's actions support that, too.

Apparently you have a very narrow definition of relevance.

And I could excuse a whole lot of behavior if I were to look at it as simply as an offense trying to score vs. a defense trying to stop them. I believe that it's more complicated than that.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

nice "A Few Good Men" reference, pep

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Nope - just calling it classless a player threatens to hurt a QB, and that he has a bullseye on his back Sunday. Really stupid comment to make going into this game.

To start is an undersized safety that can't play a full season in NFL and now he is going to be hellaciously beaten all game long by Pats. Before, during and slightly after whistle.

So a player saying they might rough up Brady if the Pats try to embarrass them is unacceptable -- but if the same guy says that, even when he hasn't done anything wrong, beating him up "after the whistle" is acceptable.

Like fanfromvirginia said... This place is bizarro world sometimes.

 

[ScipioCowboy]

Perhaps it's ignored because it's irrelevant. The real rules are written; there is no other kind of rule. What you're talking about is social pressure.

There's no such thing as running up the score.

On the contrary, social pressure is always relevant. Society persists and flourishes largely because of social pressure.

There are no laws dictating that we help old ladies across the street, or treat our fellow men and women with basic respect and dignity. There's no federal requirement to donate money to charity or help the impoverished from other countries. But we do these things for the benefit, improvement, and subsistence of society.

And the NFL is a microcosm of society.

One of the unwritten rules in the NFL society discourages running up scores, and regardless of whether you accept running up the score as a "real thing," it is a very lucid reality to the players and coaches around the league. Consequently, as Bob Sanders has demonstrated, there are very "real" consequences if this particular unwritten rule is breached.

Don't misunderstand me here. I don't support or condone Sanders' comments. I'm merely recognizing the consequences of Belichik's disregard for league etiquitte. He's opening a Pandora's Box here, and the people most affected by Belichik's hubris will be the players on the field, not him.

Regardless of Belichik's intentions here, he must realize and understand how his actions in victory are affecting other teams. You aren't justified in repeatedly being a jerk simply because you didn't initially intend to be a jerk.

Similarly, you shouldn't necessarily do something just because you can get away with it. That attitude can completely undermine a society.

 

[dbair1967]

Wow... No wonder that guy is the emotional leader of the Colt's defense.

I like his attitude.

if Roy would have said something like that they'd be calling for him to be banned from football

and some of the clowns on here would be leading the charge

David

 

[Dallas]

if Roy would have said something like that they'd be calling for him to be banned from football

and some of the clowns on here would be leading the charge

David

You got that right dbair. Excellent point.


This place goes downhill each year during the bye week. Even moreso since the village idiot returned.

 

[Route 66]

http://img223.*************/img223/3779/battery1rj7.jpg

 

[Chuck 54]

Sanders is either just talking silly crap or he's one of the dumber guys around.

Now if he were to do something that resulted in a Brady injury, he'd probably be suspended for the rest of the season.

I'm guessing it was just stupid gamesmanship. Maybe he should have been saying, "We'll worry about that if they can actually get a blowout against us"

 

[Nors]

So a player saying they might rough up Brady if the Pats try to embarrass them is unacceptable -- but if the same guy says that, even when he hasn't done anything wrong, beating him up "after the whistle" is acceptable.

Like fanfromvirginia said... This place is bizarro world sometimes.

To say you are going to intentionally try and hurt an opposing QB is dead wrong.

If Sanders is 40 points down he needs to look in the mirror for accountability.

He really did his team a diservice with that dumb quote. He JUST STIRRED A BEE HIVE.

 

[Skin]

Bob Sanders voiced what people all over the league are discussing in private. I think even "The Jaw" referred to the consequences of running up the score earlier this week.

If you guys on here think that running up the score on other teams is showing respect to the game or other teams, that's fine, I'm not going to change your mind, but you lack common sense.

These threads make me wish I'd spent my money on gum rather than supporting this site.

 

[Dallas]

These threads make me wish I'd spent my money on gum rather than supporting this site.

Sad isn't it? I mean you read folks for years thinking you may understand who they are and then WHAM.

Total credibility lost.

But I agree. We aren't going to change the minds. Sportsmanship in games anymore is dieing or dead.

Look at the kids playing sports today. This summer I was playing in a pickup football league here at our local field. We had 4 kids roll in w/ 2 SUV's and spray the field w/ bullets killing a guy.

All because they lost a game earlier.

People do some really crazy things when they feel so disrespected.

So yeah. It's a major let down seeing some support this nonsense of running up the score and cheating to win.

 

[Rack]

Nope - just calling it classless a player threatens to hurt a QB, and that he has a bullseye on his back Sunday. Really stupid comment to make going into this game.

To start is an undersized safety that can't play a full season in NFL and now he is going to be hellaciously beaten all game long by Pats. Before, during and slightly after whistle.

I'd hope the Cowboys would do the same if an opposing teams player said they were going to try and hurt Romo.

So intentionally hurting a QB is wrong?

What do you think should happen to him if he does intentionally hurt Brady? Suspended? Banned from the league?

To say you are going to intentionally try and hurt an opposing QB is dead wrong.

If Sanders is 40 points down he needs to look in the mirror for accountability.

He really did his team a diservice with that dumb quote. He JUST STIRRED A BEE HIVE.

It really does seem more like you're worried your boy Brady might get hurt.

 

[Rack]

Sad isn't it? I mean you read folks for years thinking you may understand who they are and then WHAM.

Total credibility lost.

But I agree. We aren't going to change the minds. Sportsmanship in games anymore is dieing or dead.

Look at the kids playing sports today. This summer I was playing in a pickup football league here at our local field. We had 4 kids roll in w/ 2 SUV's and spray the field w/ bullets killing a guy.

All because they lost a game earlier.

People do some really crazy things when they feel so disrespected.

So yeah. It's a major let down seeing some support this nonsense of running up the score and cheating to win.

That's messed up. I never thought anything like that would happen in Alaska. So much for being the last frontier... thugonomics knows no bounds I guess.


Sad world we live in. Seems we're going backwards as a civilization to the days of the wild wild west.

 

[dallas_112678]

So Sanders would take it easy on the Pats if NE does not run up the score? It is just talk if Pats blow out the Colts then chances are Sanders is getting toasted and he better worry about his own play.

To me, what he said was "if theres a point where we are down by 4 touchdowns in the 4th quarter, lets just say we'll be blitzing 11 on 3rd and 20"

Basically if the Pats run of the score, they wont care about defending, theyll just send everyone to hit brady.

 

[PBJTime]

On the contrary, social pressure is always relevant. Society persists and flourishes largely because of social pressure.

There are no laws dictating that we help old ladies across the street, or treat our fellow men and women with basic respect and dignity. There's no federal requirement to donate money to charity or help the impoverished from other countries. But we do these things for the benefit, improvement, and subsistence of society.

And the NFL is a microcosm of society.

One of the unwritten rules in the NFL society discourages running up scores, and regardless of whether you accept running up the score as a "real thing," it is a very lucid reality to the players and coaches around the league. Consequently, as Bob Sanders has demonstrated, there are very "real" consequences if this particular unwritten rule is breached.

Don't misunderstand me here. I don't support or condone Sanders' comments. I'm merely recognizing the consequences of Belichik's disregard for league etiquitte. He's opening a Pandora's Box here, and the people most affected by Belichik's hubris will be the players on the field, not him.

Regardless of Belichik's intentions here, he must realize and understand how his actions in victory are affecting other teams. You aren't justified in repeatedly being a jerk simply because you didn't initially intend to be a jerk.

Similarly, you shouldn't necessarily do something just because you can get away with it. That attitude can completely undermine a society.

:signmast: What he said.

You could even look at it in things as simple as the post game handshake. That isn't anywhere in the rules, but it is a sign of respect shown at the end of the game.

 

[Nors]

To me, what he said was "if theres a point where we are down by 4 touchdowns in the 4th quarter, lets just say we'll be blitzing 11 on 3rd and 20"

Basically if the Pats run of the score, they wont care about defending, theyll just send everyone to hit brady.

Thats stupid sending the house, BB said as much last week. If you are going to blitz house I'm going to throw it. If I don't I risk my player getting hurt.

You are down 41 hypo and blitzing 11 what does that say?

 

[TVMan]

So a player saying they might rough up Brady if the Pats try to embarrass them is unacceptable -- but if the same guy says that, even when he hasn't done anything wrong, beating him up "after the whistle" is acceptable.

Like fanfromvirginia said... This place is bizarro world sometimes.

Sometimes agendas come before common sense. Like Bob said, NFL karma will be a B****. It doesn't matter what team or player dishes it to the Pats. The point is it will happen.

I hate the Pats. They represent all that is wrong with the NFL in my opinion. They got a slap on the wrist and their film destroyed so that the evidence, in time, will fade away.

Now they want to grind their ax and be the bully. Let them enjoy it because when it turns around, it will be bad for them too.

Brady can't play forever.

Belicheater scored big with Brady. I doubt that he can repeat that ever again.

 

[Dallas]

That's messed up. I never thought anything like that would happen in Alaska. So much for being the last frontier... thugonomics knows no bounds I guess.


Sad world we live in. Seems we're going backwards as a civilization to the days of the wild wild west.

I think it's more of a problem of accountability and the loss of compassion for the human race. It's everyone out for themselves and screw whoever gets hurt in the process or how it effects someone.

For example w/ BB and his cheating. There was no accountability. They lose a couple of draft picks and he's fined 500k. We all know that 500k for BB is a joke. The guy has millions. He should have been suspended. Again - no accountability from the league for this guy or from the guy himself. No appology-nothing. Then it's all brushed into the wind to hopefully be forgotten. So for me - I am glad players are finally saying enough is enough. If you want to play this way and disrespect the league and it's teams this much then you better be prepared to face the consequenses.

Another thing. It doesn't have to be Brady. It could be Moss, Welker or anyone for that matter.