Running up the score/making a mockery of the other team.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

In another thread I joked that NEP could punt on first down.  To wit Brian responded. 

If they punt on first down, it would infuriate me.  I'd never forgive the Patriots for being assholes and making a mockery of my team.

Strongly suggesting that he feels that not playing to win is insulting to the other team.

Earlier in that same thread. Adam wrote....

Belichick in his typical classy fashion wants a 14-win season so he wants to play his starters for the game.

New England 41
Miami 17

Complaining that NEP playing their starters and blowing out Mia would be rude.

"Running up the score" as inappropriate seems to be a charge leveled against the Patriots and Belichick quite often after blowout, but rarely any other team even with equally lopsided games. 

As poster pointed out on a Patriots board, in his country (Brazil) "running up the score" even in youth sports is not considered rude.  What is considered deeply insulting is taking the foot off the gas.  In his country if one soccer team was up 4-0 (the equivalent of a 28 point lead in grid iron football) and just starting passing the ball around instead of scoring that would be insulting.  In essence saying the other team is crappy of a team for it possible for them to make a comeback. 

I tend to take the Brazil point of view.  That not trying to continue to score points or taking your foot off the gas is saying to the other team, your team is too inept to do what the Eagles did to the Giants or what the Colts did in the 2006 AFCCG. 

What says you?  What is the more insulting thing to do?...run up the score or declare the game over because you have a big lead.

[StL FinFan]

I don't like running up the score but I have accepted it as part of the game.  Therefore, I choose the other option.

[MikeO]

no such thing as "running it up" in the NFL. These are paid professionals. They get paid to make stops.

In college running it up is classless and poor sportsmanship

[Landshark]

no such thing as "running it up" in the NFL. These are paid professionals. They get paid to make stops.

In college running it up is classless and poor sportsmanship

I disagree with the second part of your post.  Running it up is ok as long as you have your backups in once the game is out of reach.  That's a way for your backups to get some experience. 

Notice Bill Belichick pulled Tom Brady and a bunch of other starters once they had put the game away, but he still kept calling aggresive plays. 

That's why if there is one college coach I will never respect, it is Steve Spurrier.  Whenever he runs up the score, he leaves his starters in.

[Frimp]

I really don't care about running the score up. I don't like it, but if the other teams want to risk their key players to injury in a game they had already won, so be it.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

  Running it up is ok as long as you have your backups in once the game is out of reach.  That's a way for your backups to get some experience. 

Notice Bill Belichick pulled Tom Brady and a bunch of other starters once they had put the game away, but he still kept calling aggresive plays. 

I disagree with this.  I think pulling your starters is the ultimate insult.  

Hey Dolphins, you suck.  You suck so bad we can beat you by 31 point by having Hoyer throwing to Edelman and Price while Wes, Branch and Brady watch from the sidelines.

Hey Bills you suck.  You suck so bad Jets can beat you with their second string QB, their third string QB, heck even with the 4th string QB.  You offense is so bad we don't need our number one and number two CBs we can shut down the receivers with guys that other teams 3rd and 4th WR frequently burn when we play the nickle or dime.  Your rushing defense is so horrible we don't need our #1 or #2 RB we will run it down your right threw your DL with a Joe McFumble.  

[Frimp]

I think the backup QB scored more points than Brady did today. lol It wouldn't have mattered if John Beck was NE's backup. It still would have been a blowout.

[Thundergod]

I have no problem with either in pro sports. But if I had to choose, then B, pulling your starters.

[Dave Gray]

Running up the score is the more insulting of the two...but who gives a crap?  I admire that Bellichek goes for your throat and kicks your ass at the same time, until the clock hits 0:00.  The guy is cold-blooded gangsta.  I wish we had him.

That said, under current NFL etiquette, playing conservatively with a big lead shows respect to your opponent.

[BigDaddyFin]

It's a fine line either way. 

If you pull your starters and the other team still can't stop it, that's not really running up the score.

If you keep calling dive plays and are still getting 8 yards a peice, that's not really running up the score. 

there's a time to leave your starters in and a time to pull them.  In the NFL, if it were me I'd never pull my starters until the 4th quarter no matter how far ahead we were.

Running up the score implies that you purposely left your starters in for no real reason other than to embarass the other team.  In the NFL these guys are paid millions of dollars.  If they don't want to be embarrassed, then they should play like it.

Making a mockery of the other team I don't see too much the most recent example for me would have been Michael Irvin kneeling down and not even getting out of his stance during a game against Miami in 1996 when Dallas was well ahead or like when Moss walked off the field before the game was over.  Thats more an issue of disrespect either for the game or for the other team and doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the score.

[Pappy13]

As poster pointed out on a Patriots board, in his country (Brazil) "running up the score" even in youth sports is not considered rude.  What is considered deeply insulting is taking the foot off the gas.  In his country if one soccer team was up 4-0 (the equivalent of a 28 point lead in grid iron football) and just starting passing the ball around instead of scoring that would be insulting.  In essence saying the other team is crappy of a team for it possible for them to make a comeback.

Passing the ball around with a 4 goal lead in youth sports IS rubbing it in the face of the other team, however limiting your scoring with a 10 goal lead is not.  My daughter played for a soccer team that won the North Texas state championship.  I can remember a couple games where they were up 10-0 on teams that were clearly inferior (even the other teams knew it) and the coach would require 2 touches by every player and shots had to come with their off leg as to limit the scoring chances. Sometimes she would call players over to the sideline to "talk" with them and keep them there for a minute or so during play so that in effect we would be playing a man (girl) down. Maybe in Brazil they would consider this offensive, but I doubt it, not at the youth level.  4-0 and 10-0 are 2 completely different animals.

The same can be said of a 28 point lead in a professional football game.  Purposely trying NOT to score in that game would be a slap in the face, but not if the score were say 70-0 which is what happens in college games from time to time.  There IS a point where trying to score more becomes more an insult than not trying to score, it's just hard to say exactly what point that is.  I would say it's about 50 points in football.  After that, trying to score is running it up and a team should be doing nothing but running straight up the gut on every play.

I had no problems with what NE did on Sunday.

[jtex316]

For the team that's down 0-42 in the 3rd quarter and even thinking about playing this "run up the score" card to complain about the other team, I have an easy way to make them stop: PLAY DEFENSE. Or, STOP THEM.

If you don't like getting your ass kicked and the other team kicking your ass, how about stop them from kicking your ass? This isn't middle school where your mom can be called and the doctor can write you a note and you have 10 excused absences. This is the professional ranks, and if you can't figure out a way for the opposing team to stop kicking your ass, then you will receive (and should receive) a 60-minute ass kicking. Not 45 minutes, not 30 minutes, a full 60-minute ass kicking up and down the field.

[fyo]

I think people are missing an essential point:

THE SCORE is what makes a mockery of the team, more than anything else. When the Patriots are up by 30+ points, THAT'S what hurts. At that point, it's clear to everyone and their mother that the game is more than just a little lopsided. One team is getting slaughtered.

Sticking your head in the sand and ignoring that fact doesn't change anything, so you might as well pull your starters. That's not an insult. Running up the score? In the NFL, there's no point, unless you want to chase specific records, and very few coaches outside Boston do it. In college, rankings require it.

So, yeah, I do think it's classless and pointless in the NFL. It's not something I'm hugely bothered about, however, since I'm more concerned with my team sucking in the first place than with any behavior on the part of the other team (short of cheating).

[Dave Gray]

^ I think there is a point.

Bellichek expects 100% of his players.  In turn, they expect 100% from him.  I think that it's a statement to your team that you mean business and you're out to destroy every team you play.  The Patriots have a confidence more than any other team in the NFL.  They get on the field, do their business for 60 minutes and you leave getting blown out.

[Brian Fein]

I think there's a point to be made here - that when given the opportunity, Bellichick opted NOT to run up the score.  Twice he "went for it" on long 4th downs in the red zone when leading by 38.  Running up the score would have kicked FG's there, both times.

As for the original post, I kinda agree with Jtex.  if no one tackles you, what do you want?  Edelman should have run out of bounds for no reason when he was 20 yards past the last defender?  I don't get it... 

But in the end, I don't think you need to be polite in the NFL.  If your team sucks, you should know about it.