Operation Sports Logo Header
Home
Operation Sports Logo Header
News Post

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

  03:26 PM - September 18, 2012 by RaychelSnr


Unwritten rules.

You'll find them in most every sport. They crop up and make appearances often, and controversy ensues about how audacious someone was for breaking them or how they were just playing the game how it should be played. Cue up this past weekend and Greg Schiano's order to have his players rush Eli Manning on a kneel down. On the surface, the play was simply playing football how it should be played: to win until the very final whistle. On the other, the game was for all intents and purposes lost and you only risked injury for everyone involved in a seemingly fruitless play.

So OS, what do you think? Are unwritten rules such as not going full speed on a kneel down important? Or, like Napoleon, should they become a part of history? Could they ever?

Sound off!

Game: NFLReader Score: 8.5/10 - Vote Now
Platform: SportsVotes for game: 5 - View All
Member Comments
# 41 JG1986 @ 09/19/12 01:02 PM
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.
 
# 42 ImTellinTim @ 09/19/12 01:06 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by 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.
Just because other teams haven't done it recently doesn't mean the Giants have a point when they get their panties in a bunch. I'm sure if you went back through the years, you'd find plenty of examples where a team's d-line tried to get a push down by 1 score. I bet the main difference is the o-line didn't get embarrassingly blown back on their ***.

Quote:
Originally Posted by JG1986
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.
The correct strategy is to get the ball back in your hands in that situation. If that means allowing a TD, then you allow the score. Then the correct strategy at the end is to try to recover a fumble. In both cases, Schiano is employing the strategy that will result in his team winning the highest percentage of the time. We're dealing with small percentages, but in both cases, it's the correct play. Not sure what's contradictory about that.
 
# 43 kingkilla56 @ 09/19/12 01:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ImTellinTim
Just because other teams haven't done it recently doesn't mean the Giants have a point when they get their panties in a bunch. I'm sure if you went back through the years, you'd find plenty of examples where a team's d-line tried to get a push down by 1 score. I bet the main difference is the o-line didn't get embarrassingly blown back on their ***.
Yes that must be it Tim. Its all about the oline being embarrassed.
 
# 44 ImTellinTim @ 09/19/12 01:23 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by kingkilla56
Yes that must be it Tim. Its all about the oline being embarrassed.
Wait, are you suggesting that the Giants are the target of some kind of irrational criticism because they're the Giants? Please.

When the offense isn't attempting to advance the ball at that point of the game, there is only one way that the defense is going to get the ball back. And that's by pushing the offensive line into the quarterback causing a fumble. It could have worked too. Coughlin's conniption fit on the field was embarrassing and came off as whining when he should have been tearing his line a new ******* for allowing that to happen.
 
# 45 JG1986 @ 09/19/12 01:26 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ImTellinTim
Just because other teams haven't done it recently doesn't mean the Giants have a point when they get their panties in a bunch. I'm sure if you went back through the years, you'd find plenty of examples where a team's d-line tried to get a push down by 1 score. I bet the main difference is the o-line didn't get embarrassingly blown back on their ***.



The correct strategy is to get the ball back in your hands in that situation. If that means allowing a TD, then you allow the score. Then the correct strategy at the end is to try to recover a fumble. In both cases, Schiano is employing the strategy that will result in his team winning the highest percentage of the time. We're dealing with small percentages, but in both cases, it's the correct play. Not sure what's contradictory about that.
Ok. I will type slower for you. I feel it is contradictory to tell your players to play smash mouth football but give up free TDs.

Also, if I remember correctly, Schiano had one timeout left before the game ended. It doesn't take 5 seconds for a kneel down. So why did he not call a timeout and do it all over again? He's just a punk, that's why.
 
# 46 ImTellinTim @ 09/19/12 01:30 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by JG1986
Ok. I will type slower for you. I feel it is contradictory to tell your players to play smash mouth football but give up free TDs.

Also, if I remember correctly, Schiano had one timeout left before the game ended. It doesn't take 5 seconds for a kneel down. So why did he not call a timeout and do it all over again? He's just a punk, that's why.
Oh, OK, so you have personal feelings about Schiano. That's what I thought.
 
# 47 ProfessaPackMan @ 09/19/12 01:32 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ImTellinTim
Just because other teams haven't done it recently doesn't mean the Giants have a point when they get their panties in a bunch. I'm sure if you went back through the years, you'd find plenty of examples where a team's d-line tried to get a push down by 1 score. I bet the main difference is the o-line didn't get embarrassingly blown back on their ***.
The difference is that team's Coach doesn't throw a hissy fit and if Coughlin doesn't do that then the Media has no reason to make that a story, especially since it happens more than people think it does, and we also don't have a 5 page thread going on about this.
 
# 48 JG1986 @ 09/19/12 01:33 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ImTellinTim
Oh, OK, so you have personal feelings about Schiano. That's what I thought.
Exactly, comment on the above statement, but leave out the other part...Schiano can't coach. Probably had no idea he had a timeout left. He is full of himself. The only reason he did what he did was to send a statement to the NFL.
 
# 49 kingkilla56 @ 09/19/12 01:37 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ImTellinTim
Wait, are you suggesting that the Giants are the target of some kind of irrational criticism because they're the Giants? Please.

When the offense isn't attempting to advance the ball at that point of the game, there is only one way that the defense is going to get the ball back. And that's by pushing the offensive line into the quarterback causing a fumble. It could have worked too. Coughlin's conniption fit on the field was embarrassing and came off as whining when he should have been tearing his line a new ******* for allowing that to happen.
Lol that was world class putting words in someone else's mouth right there Tim. I didn't say anything about the Giants franchise being targeted so where that came from was purely your imagination. So you can hold your please.

Additionally, I agree the only way to win the game at that point is for the defense to somehow cause a turnover. But who is arguing against this though? The victory formation is what it is.
 
# 50 JG1986 @ 09/19/12 01:39 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by kingkilla56
Lol that was world class putting words in someone else's mouth right there Tim. I didn't say anything about the Giants franchise being targeted so where that came from was purely your imagination. So you can hold your please.

And we wont agree on this. But I agree the only way to win the game at that point is for the defense to somehow cause a turnover. But who is arguing against this though? The victory formation is what it is.
Tim has selective reading.
 
# 51 ImTellinTim @ 09/19/12 01:44 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by JG1986
Tim has selective reading.
No, I just choose to focus on the topic at hand. "Unwritten Rules Good or Bad for the Game?"

I couldn't care less about who is involved. Coughlin cried foul, it wasn't a foul. I don't care if you think Schiano is a "punk" or what you think his motivations were behind any decisions he made during the game. (Which were, again, the correct decisions).
 
# 52 JG1986 @ 09/19/12 01:46 PM
Look, all I'm saying is everyone is high and mighty for what Schiano did. Ok fine. If he wasn't trying to send some kind of statement, why didn't he take a timeout and do it all over again? If he was really trying to get a fumble, why wouldn't they call a timeout? I mean with 5 seconds or whatever was left in in the game, there is no virtually no time for anything like that to happen and Schiano knows this. However, he still tried to get the fumble, but to no avail. But if you seriously think you can get a fumble like that, try it again. So Schiano either had no idea he had a timeout left which makes him ignorant, was just trying to send a statement which kind of makes him a dick, especially with all the safety stuff this day and age, or figured there wouldn't be enough time left after the first kneel down, in which case he really still hadn't a full 60 minutes. Just how I feel. I'm done.
 
# 53 wat3 @ 09/19/12 02:47 PM
Some of these comments are so off the wall and pointless. To say the Bucs have up after the first half is just absurd. Not sure what gave you that impression besides the fact they gave up to many big plays trying to get to Eli. To say they wern't trying to when the game when they let the RB walk into the end zone is actually to the contrary. If this is some college "rah rah" stuff then whats the wildcat and why wasnt that play critized when the Dolphins were ripping yards with that play. I thought this was football. College or NFL you should still be taught to play the game out. Some might think its unsportsmanlike to rush on a kneel, but just because you frown upon it, does not mean its breaking some "unwritten rule". Be ready or be ready for the unexpected. Don't ever expect a team to give up or give in.
 
# 54 JBH3 @ 09/19/12 07:49 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by 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.
Quite the contrary I completely accept that some teams throw in the towell and let the winning/opposing team take a knee, and in Schiano's case he's playing till the last whistle.

Both are completely ok and teams are well within their right to take either approach.

If someone has a problem w/ either approach then that someone (Coughlin) is the problem.

/Thread.
 
# 55 iAM-IncReDiBLe- @ 09/20/12 08:06 AM
Did the Bucs do the same thing when QBs kneeled down at other times? If not the. I guess they only play hard when the game is lost or when it's convenient ?
 
# 56 kehlis @ 09/20/12 08:51 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by iAM-IncReDiBLe-
Did the Bucs do the same thing when QBs kneeled down at other times? If not the. I guess they only play hard when the game is lost or when it's convenient ?
How is that relevant?

It was the second game of the season with their new coach and the first time they've faced this scenerio with him.

Not sure why what they've done in the past has anything to do with it...
 
# 57 iAM-IncReDiBLe- @ 09/20/12 09:33 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by kehlis
How is that relevant?

It was the second game of the season with their new coach and the first time they've faced this scenerio with him.

Not sure why what they've done in the past has anything to do with it...
I'm obviously asking a question. Maybe I should have added this season to be a little more clear. I don't care about any other season, I'm talking about this season. Did they? If they were only in that situation once so far then fine. If other QBs have kneeled on them so far this season then I hope they did the same thing. If not then that play to the whistle stuff is just bull.
 
# 58 Sublime12089 @ 09/20/12 10:02 AM
No, they beat up on Carolina week one.

Sent from my HTC VLE_U using Tapatalk 2
 
# 59 iAM-IncReDiBLe- @ 09/20/12 10:14 AM
Thank you .
 
# 60 AUChase @ 09/20/12 07:54 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by da ThRONe

Letting a team score on defense is also a strategy that in certain situations can save time to help you get the victory.
Yep, The Giants could have ran the clock out, kicked a field goal and Tampa never would have been back on the field. Yeah, they gave up a touchdown, but that was their only chance of getting the ball back, with a shot to win the game.

LOL @ some of the "reasoning" going on around here.
 


Post A Comment
Only OS members can post comments
Please login or register to post a comment.