Classless Coach Belichick

[irish]

Originally Posted by mheisig

Couldn't have said it better myself. Anyone who doesn't get this point probably won't ever get it. It's like arguing with a brick wall.

It's no surprise that these two are the ones sticking up for Belichick.

I'm not sticking up for BB. I'm sticking up for playing hard and playing to win until the game is over.

I think a big reason for a lot of people having problems with NE winning how they did is that they either grew up (or are raising kids) in this era of trophies for all and everyone is on the all star team. They think that winning is fine but really dropping the hammer on an opponent is just not right. I guess I'm just old school and think everyone should play as hard as they can all game long. I'd rather get crushed than think the other team eased up on me because they feel sorry for me. That was how me and my friends thought and played. I guess I'm in the minority now.

[GhettoDogAllStars]

Originally Posted by irish

I'm not sticking up for BB. I'm sticking up for playing hard and playing to win until the game is over.

I think a big reason for a lot of people having problems with NE winning how they did is that they either grew up (or are raising kids) in this era of trophies for all and everyone is on the all star team. They think that winning is fine but really dropping the hammer on an opponent is just not right. I guess I'm just old school and think everyone should play as hard as they can all game long. I'd rather get crushed than think the other team eased up on me because they feel sorry for me. That was how me and my friends thought and played. I guess I'm in the minority now.

I think you care more about winning than enjoying the game. Originally, the game was created to have fun. It's tough to have fun when your opponent scores 8 times as many points as you. That has changed, and now the focus is not enjoyment, but rather winning at all costs. Maybe it's okay. Maybe it's not.

If you were playing basketball with a bunch of ten year olds, would you just dominate them? I know it's not the same thing, but that is pretty much what you said in your post -- play every game to win, and win as big as you can. I guess you left out the word "professional", when referring to sports.

Also, letting up is not an issue of "feeling sorry" for the other team. It's an issue of respecting the idea that the game is meant to be enjoyable. I guess that doesn't make sense in professional sports. Sigh.

[irish]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

I think you care more about winning than enjoying the game. Originally, the game was created to have fun. It's tough to have fun when your opponent scores 8 times as many points as you. That has changed, and now the focus is not enjoyment, but rather winning at all costs. Maybe it's okay. Maybe it's not.

If you were playing basketball with a bunch of ten year olds, would you just dominate them? I know it's not the same thing, but that is pretty much what you said in your post -- play every game to win, and win as big as you can. I guess you left out the word "professional", when referring to sports.

Also, letting up is not an issue of "feeling sorry" for the other team. It's an issue of respecting the idea that the game is meant to be enjoyable. I guess that doesn't make sense in professional sports. Sigh.

Its a professional sport and everyone is evenly matched. These games are not for fun, its about $ and winning. Nothing more, nothing less. NE was not playing a Pop Warner team (no matter how much it looked like they were).

If I was playing basketball against 10 year olds I would not let them win because if I let them win then they did not really win and when they finally did win they would know how great it feels to struggle and finally achieve a goal. Unfortunately trophies for all only helps the loser kids (and their parents) feel less bad about themselves and robbs them of the joy of working toward a goal and accomplishing it.

[TheBigD]

Originally Posted by GhettoDogAllStars

I think you care more about winning than enjoying the game. Originally, the game was created to have fun. It's tough to have fun when your opponent scores 8 times as many points as you. That has changed, and now the focus is not enjoyment, but rather winning at all costs. Maybe it's okay. Maybe it's not.

If you were playing basketball with a bunch of ten year olds, would you just dominate them? I know it's not the same thing, but that is pretty much what you said in your post -- play every game to win, and win as big as you can. I guess you left out the word "professional", when referring to sports.

Also, letting up is not an issue of "feeling sorry" for the other team. It's an issue of respecting the idea that the game is meant to be enjoyable. I guess that doesn't make sense in professional sports. Sigh.

I think you are right, the game is there for FUN. You know who was having fun? The NE fans (and their bandwaggon riders) who wanted to see more scores. Alot of people found that to be "enjoyable" (not me because I hate the Pats). Yes, it was not fun for the Skins and their fans, but people (at the game or home) like to see more TDs.

"Professional" sports? Why wouldn't the Skins play like professionals and finish the game right instead of hoping that the Pats would feel sorry for them and stop scoring?

Irish is right I hate the "everyone wins" attitude.