Let me get this straight. You work for a team that played it's rival and beat it easily with a TD pass that was not needed. The next year, the rival played you tough and beat you even though you should have won easily because of that TD? Do you really think the TD made that much of a difference? What kind of rivally is there if they need that spark? Never, ever did we need any extra incentive when playing a rival and they still don't. You talk to kids at my old HS and they need no incentive to play their hardest against our main rival. If you need extra incentive to go out and play any game hard then maybe you shouldn't be stepping out there. Maybe your team fell into the trap game especially after leading early.Maybe it's just my thought process is different from yours which is perfectly fine. My favorite coachs were always ones that played for the juggular. My junior year of baseball, we were hated beyound belief for scoring unneeded runs in blowouts. I went to a small school so we didn't have many subs so we couldn't pull all the starters but he would also use unneeded tatics ike suicide squeezes and such. Did those things piss teams off? Yes. Did they play harder the next time? If so, then they deserve the whipping they got last time for not trying their hardest. We no hit one team in 5 innings (mercy kill) one game like 22-0 scoring unneeded runs with our ace on the mound. They were pissed off and of course made some comments like they would enjoy returning the beating. This implies they would try their hardest and have extra reasons to beat us. Well, it was our #3 guys turn to go the only other time we played them and they showed up fired up. Even with the easy win last time, our coach always had us ready and we no hit them for a 15-0 victory that time so I guess maybe their extra incentive did help a bit, we scored 7 less runs. Many times we led big early but this coach never let up. It pissed people off but personally I'd rather play that way.In fact, 3 years ago on a work softball team we showed up with the minimum amount we could play with, 8. We were playing the best team and whom we beat the last time. 8 guys against a great team usually means doom and it did here. After 4 innings, we were down 26-5 or so. The 5th inning they came up and with the mercy rule clearly in site (10 run lead after 5, we were home obviously), they went up obviously bored with us and wanting to end it. They started swinging to hit pop-ups (no one wants to strike out, even on purpose) so we culd get them out and they could get us out and go home. We had some hot heads on our team but I'm not known to be one so when I went off, they were shocked. Why did I go off? You find it disrespecting when someone goes out and tries hard to score when they didn't need too but I got mad because I felt they were disrespecting us by not trying anymore. I would rather they score 10+ runs that inning if they could have. Anyway, I don't get why the Colts should run, run, run when they get a decent lead. I didn't hear anyone bash the Chiefs when they beat the Falcons 56-10. 6 rushng TDs and in the 4th Q, what did they do? They rushed the ball for 2 more TDs! 2 passes and 16 rush attempts! The bastards! Wasn't 6 rushing TDs enough going into the 4th quarter?As a player, #### simple. Don't want to see TO doing a dance, stop him. Don't want Manning throwing his 5th TD, stop him. I am in favor of teams calling plays to get them into the endzone no matter the score or time. No player should need extra incentive to play thier hardest on any level. When you put on that uniform, you should be going all out no matter the opponent, time, score, whatever. If you can beat me or my team in an embarrassing fashion, do it because we should be stopping you. We aren't doing our job and you are and there is no shame in doing your job.
I agree with all of this.My view of sports is simple. You go out, you compete as hard as you can for the allotted time. You always give your best and leave it all on the field. If this means you embarass someone, thats their fault, not yours. If they embarass you, thats your fault. Get better or shut up about it.Of course the usual response to this is "You take sports too seriously." Nonsense. I don't take it that seriously at all. Its just a game, and when its over you leave what happened on the field and get on with the rest of your life. But while I'm out there I'm going to compete. Thats the essence of sports. I'm not going to worry about whose ego I'm bruising, nor do I want or expect the other side to care about my feelings. I don't take it personally, they're competing just like me. If you take it personally, if after a year you're still offended by a meaningless touchdown, then you're the one taking the game too seriously.
I appreciate you taking the time to settle the issue.Turns out that my perception on the topic doesn't jive with the statistics. I stand corrected.
Seriously, though, thanks to General and others for the interesting viewpoints, and thanks to Gargoylez and others for reminding us that this isn't black-and-white. It's a multi-faceted issue, and one that's constantly in flux.Wish I had play-by-play data for Young's, Favre's, and Warner's monster seasons. I think that would shed some real light on this.
Now I do question the wisdom of having Manning still playing with the game in hand, but that's a whole different discussion.However I don't question continuing to do what works, why in the world would Indy switch to the "pass prevent" thinking on offense when they are crushing teams with points?Boot. 
