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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!

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Member Comments
# 21 kingkilla56 @ 09/18/12 06:50 PM
Too bad the Bucs werent going all in when they allowed Andre Brown to walk into the endone untouched or when they let the sorry Giant offense sore 25 in one quarter. It wasnt illegal it was embarrassingly desperate.
 
# 22 RJTurneR @ 09/18/12 06:57 PM
You could argue it was a poor decision by Coughlin to leave Eli out there with 5 seconds left just to take a knee. If his so worried about Eli getting hurt, then put Carr out there.

Greg Schiano is just trying to make his team play tough. He doesn't want them to be soft. You think it's ok to say to your coach "Hey, there's no point in trying here.. They have won this". I would bench that guy for a quarter or a whole game. It's not over till it's over. That's the attitude he wants that team to have. More teams should follow suit. It's a mans game, people get hurt. They wasn't intentionally trying to injure anyone.

I've seen Giants fans saying "Well, you would be unhappy if someone tried to knock your quarterback out with 5 seconds left". As I said, they weren't trying to injure anyone. And they should be more mad at Coughlin for leaving Eli out there. I would be.
 
# 23 AUChase @ 09/18/12 06:59 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by kingkilla56
Too bad the Bucs werent going all in when they allowed Andre Brown to walk into the endone untouched or when they let the sorry Giant offense sore 25 in one quarter. It wasnt illegal it was embarrassingly desperate.
They let him walk in, because they had no time outs and NY was trying to keep it out of the end zone. They could have killed the clock, kicked a field goal and never let Tampa Bay get the back. The play before that, they even elected to fall down instead of going on in the end zone, because they were playing to win the game...
Edit: this is assuming you are referring to NYs last score of the game. Otherwise, overlook my post.
Sent from my Desire HD
 
# 24 Eski33 @ 09/18/12 07:11 PM
Unwritten rules are good. I agree that they are a self-check for sportsmanship, more or less don't do something to injur someone. I have no love for unwritten rules where it is suggested teams stop trying to win.

Case in point. A few years ago the SF Giants had a no-hitter going into the ninth. The Padres were down 1-0 and the leadoff hitter broke it up with a bunt single. Bruce Boche was livid. I love Boche but gimme a break.

With the Bucs-Giants, I agree it was a good attempt to try and create a fumble. Screw Coughlin and his crybaby ***.
 
# 25 scottyo60 @ 09/18/12 07:20 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by TreyIM2
I get unwritten rules and sportsmanship but I also understand that the game is technically not over. Like it's already been said by at least one former NFLer, Mike Golic, usually, the team kneeling says something to the other and their is usually an agreement...but if the other team doesn't agree AND hunkers down low and tight like the Bucs did, the Giants shoulda seen it coming been prepared.to protect the ball and QB.
This! I had several games when I played high school and if we were down or whatever the lines would talk it out. No one gets hurt and they know you are going to try for the ball. Sportsmanship is solved. They should have known right from the three point stance what was going to happen though.
 
# 26 JBH3 @ 09/18/12 09:30 PM
Unwritten rules are stupid in any capacity.
 
# 27 Retropyro @ 09/18/12 10:22 PM
And if Coughlin had the Giants going for and trying to score another TD with 5 seconds left people (Schiano included) would be whining about how they were "running-up" the score.

I wonder what Schiano's reaction would be later in the season if Freeman takes a knee and gets trampled and injured. I bet he bitches non-stop about it.
 
# 28 Sidion @ 09/18/12 10:56 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by tril
disagree with WAT3 said.
unwritten rules are technically rules that govern good sportsmanship. In the situation this past weekend, the game was lost. The only thing that could have happened was a player may have gotten injured.
A precedent was set this weekend, and it may change the sportsmanship philosophy in NFL football.
This is the truth. Sportsmanship has never been mandatory in any sport, but that doesn't mean it's not important for a player to have. I get playing to the end, but when you're in the situation where the QB kneel is taking place, the game is over. Accepting a loss professionally is very important. This isn't some backyard game, it's a game that's broadcast to millions. Hurting someone for an offhand chance at a recovery (Which doesn't ensure a win regardless) is just pathetic.
 
# 29 andygilbert @ 09/18/12 10:58 PM
I'm torn here I understand both sides and agree to a certain extent, but here is one observation I had some of the " unwritten rules " are to promote sportsmanship as well as safety and in my opinion safety being the most important in a game that is decided already. Greg Schiano is the coach that had a player at Rutgers who paralized on a kickoff which he was very vocal about and help lead to the changing of the kickoff rule change this year and I would have thought he would have taken this sort of thing into account. I know no one got hurt but if it was his player and they had ( and I would hope not ) gotten hurt would he have been as ok with another coach encourage this player to act in this way.
 
# 30 tarek @ 09/19/12 12:11 AM
Unwritten rules are a part of life. Or I should not say unwritten rules, but more the social norm.

Have you ever given up your seat for someone else (like an elderly person) on a bus/train? You don't have to. You paid your fare and got on earlier. But you give up your seat out of a form of respect (and certain kindness).

Why do you line up? Why do you wait in line? There actually isn't a rule that you need to line up, it's unwritten, everyone does it to keep order, structure. You can actually go to some countries where they don't queue properly, where they crowd and push, and form new lines to compete with existing lines and all that kind of stuff.

Now in sports, those unwritten rules form the social norms within that competitive structure. It's a way to maintain respect and structure within the sporting context. This is different from blind following, group think or other concepts where people do things just because everyone else does it. This is maintaining a socially acceptable norm.

In this context, there was 5 seconds left in the game. By the time a fumble could have possibly been recovered there would have been very little if no time left on the clock. So it really wasn't that good of a move regardless of it breaking these unwritten rules.

Now, going against social norms and bucking the system has it's place. When you want to advocate something. When you want to stand up for something. But if you don't have those purposes, then it's closer to being rebellious and irresponsible.

The question isn't whether the act of rushing manning was wrong? Or the act of playing until the final whistle? It's the question of why? What was the purpose and what was the gain?

For my 2 cents I think the move was useless and shortsighted. There was no reason for it.
 
# 31 Jr. @ 09/19/12 12:52 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Retropyro
And if Coughlin had the Giants going for and trying to score another TD with 5 seconds left people (Schiano included) would be whining about how they were "running-up" the score.

I wonder what Schiano's reaction would be later in the season if Freeman takes a knee and gets trampled and injured. I bet he bitches non-stop about it.
I'm sure Schiano would make sure his OLine knows that they need to block if they think the defense might try to come after the ball when the game is still within reach for the opposition.

I find it interesting that people bring up the chance for injury. There's a chance for injury on every play. Should the losing team stop trying once they fall behind because someone from the other team might get hurt? Again, if the Giants were paying attention, they would have seen that the Bucs DLine was set up to come after the ball and would have been ready to block, thereby reducing their chance of getting injured.
 
# 32 razorkaos @ 09/19/12 06:47 AM
it is a legal play? yes. there is a chance to win the game? yes. so, how can people say he is wrong for trying to win the game?
 
# 33 Sublime12089 @ 09/19/12 07:04 AM
For me, this is on the o line. Blocking is fundemental.

Sent from my HTC VLE_U using Tapatalk 2
 
# 34 thescoop @ 09/19/12 09:22 AM
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.
 
# 35 JG1986 @ 09/19/12 09:49 AM
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.
 
# 36 Jonsco28 @ 09/19/12 11:06 AM
If the game was out of reach, then Coughlin would have a legitimate gripe and then you could point to the unwritten rules.
 
# 37 da ThRONe @ 09/19/12 11:32 AM
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.
 
# 38 Brandwin @ 09/19/12 11:42 AM
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.
 
# 39 ImTellinTim @ 09/19/12 11:50 AM
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.
 
# 40 kingkilla56 @ 09/19/12 11:55 AM
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.
 


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