Sound Off: Unwritten Rules Good or Bad for the Game?

[thescoop]

I know Greg Schiano wasn't "playing till the final whistle" a week before when his team took three knees to end the game. He's a bush league punk and I hope the Bucs do nothing under his watch.

[JG1986]

Here is what pisses me off about Schiano, in addition to what thescoop said above me. He is a hyprocrite. He wants to talk about playing hard till the whistle blows, correct? Well, correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he tell his defense to LET the Giants score on the previous drive. When the Giants were on the 7 yard line, they let Andre Brown run but Andre, being aware, kneeled it at the 1 yard line. The very next play the Bucs let him score. Why not go for the strip, at least? Schiano is a chump.

[Jonsco28]

If the game was out of reach, then Coughlin would have a legitimate gripe and then you could point to the unwritten rules.

[da ThRONe]

Quote: Originally Posted by thescoop

I know Greg Schiano wasn't "playing till the final whistle" a week before when his team took three knees to end the game. He's a bush league punk and I hope the Bucs do nothing under his watch.

Quote: Originally Posted by JG1986

Here is what pisses me off about Schiano, in addition to what thescoop said above me. He is a hyprocrite. He wants to talk about playing hard till the whistle blows, correct? Well, correct me if I'm wrong but didn't he tell his defense to LET the Giants score on the previous drive. When the Giants were on the 7 yard line, they let Andre Brown run but Andre, being aware, kneeled it at the 1 yard line. The very next play the Bucs let him score. Why not go for the strip, at least? Schiano is a chump.

Nothing that you two are saying contradicts what Schiano did or said. Playing to the final play when you have chance to win is completely different than playing dumb. Kneeling the ball is a strategy to safely run out as much clock as possible. It's not a unwritten mercy rule.

Letting a team score on defense is also a strategy that in certain situations can save time to help you get the victory.

[Brandwin]

Quote: Originally Posted by johnnyg713

People that are saying this isn't a cheap call don't understand the game of football.

I guess a lot of us don't understand the game of football then.

[ImTellinTim]

I can't believe the talk this is STILL getting. Coughlin would have a point if they were up by more than one score, but they weren't, so he doesn't. End of story. The o-line got knocked on their butts because they weren't aware of what was happening in front of them. If Eli would have gotten hurt it would have been their fault, not the Bucs for exercising their only option to win the game at that point - recovering a fumble.

I'm alright with some of the unwritten rules that govern good sportsmanship. It's just that this situation was not a breach of that.

I do get tired of baseball's where there practically needs to be an Official Unwritten Rules Rulebook to go along with the regular rulebook. For example, stepping on the pitching mound almost causes a brawl - give me a break.

[kingkilla56]

Its funny. This play has gone on for decades and not once have I heard "OMG they just let them take a knee like that? How dare they not play to the last whistle. I thought the game lasts 60 minutes? This is football isn't it?"

But now all of a sudden the Bucs did the right thing. Ok then.

[JG1986]

Quote: Originally Posted by da ThRONe

Nothing that you two are saying contradicts what Schiano did or said. Playing to the final play when you have chance to win is completely different than playing dumb. Kneeling the ball is a strategy to safely run out as much clock as possible. It's not a unwritten mercy rule. Letting a team score on defense is also a strategy that in certain situations can save time to help you get the victory.

I guess my hang up isn't so much the win vs the loss point of everything. I'm not criticizing the strategy. I have no problem with teams letting their opponents score if they feel that is their best of winning. What my gripe is the fact that Schiano wants to play tough nose football. Well, how are you going to allow the opponent to score on two consecutive plays (the first of which, Brown kneeled). I don't think we would ever see a SF, Bal, or Pitt do that, but yet to me, this is the type of team that Schiano wants to coach. Their defense let up in the second half. Instead of trying to force a fumble on the kneel down, why don't you play ALL 60 minutes and try to make something happen on that last TD drive for the Giants. I guess my issue isn't really so much the unwritten rules thing, but rather the fact that Schiano baffles me. I don't care about the whole well letting the Giants score is the best way that my team has to win (how does that even work?). It seems to me like a way to tie. Its the fact that Schiano wants to be recognized around the league as this tough coach with a tough team. Well, letting the Giants score, at least to me, and you can't really change how I feel, is contradictory.