Philosphical Question (1 Viewer)

[RUSF18]

I'm just asking questions, not arguing. So if their primary goal was not to win that game, how does the decision to not win that game benefit them? Are we assuming that they just lost their minds, hate their own team, wish to be fired, enjoy getting people mad? I don't see how coaches would decide to try to not win a game unless there was an ulterior motive. Either that, or they weren't actually trying to not win the game.

The Colts hierarchy WANTED to lose that game. They didnt want the pressure of an undefeated season following their team into the playoffs. The Colts are weak of mind. Bill Polian didnt trust his team to handle the pressure and embrace history.If the above isnt the reason, why handle it the way they did? If you are resting players, why play them at all? Couldnt Manning have gotten hurt in the first 3 quarters of that game? Taking him out for the 4th quarter doesnt make sense unless they wanted to lose and relieve the pressure and distraction of an undefeated season.

Doesn't almost every team use the same logic in the preseason? They obviously want to get players some work in to keep them sharp, while minimizing risk of an injury.Of course Manning could have gotten hurt in the first 3 quarters, but he is less likely to get hurt by playing only 3 vs 4 quarters.

Could someone please explain to me the pressure and distraction of an undefeated season? Does anyone think it actually effects the players during playoff games? I could see someone arguing that it provides motivation to the opponents, but in the playoffs, I doubt teams need added inspiration to get motivated.

The ones who made the call to pull everyone felt the pressure and distraction, not the players.

 

[cheese]

I'd be 100% fine with what the Colts did if they had been 13-1 coming into the game. Maybe resting your starters isn't the best move, but there wouldn't be anything fundamentally wrong with it either.

The fact that they gave away a realistic shot at all-time NFL history is a slap in the face to their players, their fans, and everybody who follows the NFL IMO.

I grew up in Indiana, so when the Bills aren't in the playoffs (insert joke here), I like to see Indy do well. Their actions today really sour me on the entire organization and I wouldn't mind seeing them get bumped in their divisional game. Pretty sure I'm not alone here.

I agree with this.Here's a baseball analogy - the team is up 10-0 and your starting pitcher has thrown 100 pitches through six innings - but has a perfect game going with the playoffs starting next week.

Don't tell me that you'd be cool with him coming out to rest him with a perfect game on the line.

It happens all the time to guys with no hitters. I would say it would probably happen in the situation you describe except the combination of throwing 100 pitches through 6 (high pitch count) while still throwing a perfect game while team happens to have playoffs coming has probably never happened.I wouldn't love it, but I would expect him to come out in that situation.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

First things - I'm not suggesting the Colts did anything legally or morally wrong pulling their starters.But I find it interesting that many are ok with what they did today. But many of those same people would put a player throwing a game at the very lowest of low. Where is that line? Few players are able to lose a game on purpose. A game is thrown when they don't try as hard to win.Obviously, the Colts intentionally did not put forth their best effort to win today. Thoughts?J

It's not acceptable in just about all major sports accept football because of the violence and high percentage that a player can get hurt. You have to understand that to buy into the concept. If I try and explain this to my wife, she doesn't get it and shakes her head and just thinks the Colts should have played their best players and try to win at all costs.You can't do that in the NFL. The game is so violent, so physical, and so easy with the speeds and strength these guys play at that someone can get hurt. The bottom line is the Colts earned the right to be able to rest their players at the end of the season because they took care of business, end of story.The Colts are resting players for a purpose to WIN games later. That is a big difference than a team like the Rams or Detroit resting players so that they can get draft picks next year. It's not remotely the same, because ultimately the move the Colts are making (and nobody can argue this) is that they are trying to make sure they can win THIS YEAR. The move they are making effects what they are trying to do in THIS football season.If you have teams like the Rams sitting players because they are trying to improve themselves in future NFL seasons, that isn't the same as a team who's trying to employ a strategy to win in this current season.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

I'd be 100% fine with what the Colts did if they had been 13-1 coming into the game. Maybe resting your starters isn't the best move, but there wouldn't be anything fundamentally wrong with it either.

The fact that they gave away a realistic shot at all-time NFL history is a slap in the face to their players, their fans, and everybody who follows the NFL IMO.

I grew up in Indiana, so when the Bills aren't in the playoffs (insert joke here), I like to see Indy do well. Their actions today really sour me on the entire organization and I wouldn't mind seeing them get bumped in their divisional game. Pretty sure I'm not alone here.

I agree with this.Here's a baseball analogy - the team is up 10-0 and your starting pitcher has thrown 100 pitches through six innings - but has a perfect game going with the playoffs starting next week.

Don't tell me that you'd be cool with him coming out to rest him with a perfect game on the line.

It happens all the time to guys with no hitters. I would say it would probably happen in the situation you describe except the combination of throwing 100 pitches through 6 (high pitch count) while still throwing a perfect game while team happens to have playoffs coming has probably never happened.I wouldn't love it, but I would expect him to come out in that situation.

I've seen this several times as well. I was at a game a couple years back in Detroit and Dontrell Willis had a no hitter going in like the 5th or 6th but walked several batters and walked a couple more that inning and he got yanked. He deserved to get yanked, he was not mad he was yanked and the fans appreciated the effort he gave for the innings he was in there.

 

[fatness]

I view resting your starters to avoid injury the exact same way I view kneeling to avoid a turnover. You're sacrificing short-term goals (such as getting the most yards possible on a particular play, or winning a particular game) in the service of longer-term goals (such as winning a game or maximizing your playoff chances).

I agree with this.If there was some way that resting starters would preserve them from harm in fantasy football it would be widely done near the end of the season.

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

I view resting your starters to avoid injury the exact same way I view kneeling to avoid a turnover. You're sacrificing short-term goals (such as getting the most yards possible on a particular play, or winning a particular game) in the service of longer-term goals (such as winning a game or maximizing your playoff chances).

I agree with this.If there was some way that resting starters would preserve them from harm in fantasy football it would be widely done near the end of the season.

Exactly and you know that's true. The same guys complaining about resting their players would be doing it too.If your team has a bye in the fantasy playoffs, if it were possible to rest those guys instead of them actually playing while you're on bye, I know they'd do it. I have had it done where I was on bye while the first round of playoffs happened and one of my guys were hurt. Of course I would have put him on bye with me if it were possible.

 

[DoubleG]

I view resting your starters to avoid injury the exact same way I view kneeling to avoid a turnover. You're sacrificing short-term goals (such as getting the most yards possible on a particular play, or winning a particular game) in the service of longer-term goals (such as winning a game or maximizing your playoff chances).

I agree with this.If there was some way that resting starters would preserve them from harm in fantasy football it would be widely done near the end of the season.

Exactly and you know that's true. The same guys complaining about resting their players would be doing it too.If your team has a bye in the fantasy playoffs, if it were possible to rest those guys instead of them actually playing while you're on bye, I know they'd do it. I have had it done where I was on bye while the first round of playoffs happened and one of my guys were hurt. Of course I would have put him on bye with me if it were possible.

Becuase drawing analogies between real football and fantasy football always makes sense. In fantasy football, there is no such thing as motivation, rust, homefield advantage, desire, team work, emotion, etc. All of which are big parts of REAL football. Please stop trying to compare the two in areas they aren't even close - this is one of them.

 

[fatness]

Becuase drawing analogies between real football and fantasy football always makes sense.

Yeah, it's not like they're discussed in the same place by the same people or anything, or that they're both highly competitive and rest directly on the results of NFL games and touchdowns, or that the exact strategy criticized in one would be used in the other if it worked.

 

[DoubleG]

Becuase drawing analogies between real football and fantasy football always makes sense.

Yeah, it's not like they're discussed in the same place by the same people or anything, or that they're both highly competitive and rest directly on the results of NFL games and touchdowns, or that the exact strategy criticized in one would be used in the other if it worked.

I'm sure I could come up with a crushing and well thought out response...if I could remotely understand what point you were trying to make.

 

[Statorama]

Here's a baseball analogy - the team is up 10-0 and your starting pitcher has thrown 100 pitches through six innings - but has a perfect game going with the playoffs starting next week.

Don't tell me that you'd be cool with him coming out to rest him with a perfect game on the line.

Get back to me when pitchers in those situations have to be wary of 240 pound linebackers with 4.4 speed diving at their knees on every throw of the ball.

 

[DropKick]

I'd be 100% fine with what the Colts did if they had been 13-1 coming into the game. Maybe resting your starters isn't the best move, but there wouldn't be anything fundamentally wrong with it either.

The fact that they gave away a realistic shot at all-time NFL history is a slap in the face to their players, their fans, and everybody who follows the NFL IMO.

I grew up in Indiana, so when the Bills aren't in the playoffs (insert joke here), I like to see Indy do well. Their actions today really sour me on the entire organization and I wouldn't mind seeing them get bumped in their divisional game. Pretty sure I'm not alone here.

I agree with this.Here's a baseball analogy - the team is up 10-0 and your starting pitcher has thrown 100 pitches through six innings - but has a perfect game going with the playoffs starting next week.

Don't tell me that you'd be cool with him coming out to rest him with a perfect game on the line.

It happens all the time to guys with no hitters. I would say it would probably happen in the situation you describe except the combination of throwing 100 pitches through 6 (high pitch count) while still throwing a perfect game while team happens to have playoffs coming has probably never happened.I wouldn't love it, but I would expect him to come out in that situation.

I've seen this several times as well. I was at a game a couple years back in Detroit and Dontrell Willis had a no hitter going in like the 5th or 6th but walked several batters and walked a couple more that inning and he got yanked. He deserved to get yanked, he was not mad he was yanked and the fans appreciated the effort he gave for the innings he was in there.

Four or five walks doesn't equate to a perfect game. I would guess Willis was pulled because they were trying to win the game and the free passes weren't helping. Unless the game was meaningless, I can see pulling him. As for this type of thing happening "all the time"...

 

[katarr]

Everybody's up in arms until Manning leaves with a Carson Palmer / that Kimo dude type injury in a meaningless game against the Jets.If I were the coach of the Colts, I'd rather answer questions about why I rested my players than questions about how I'm going to gameplan for the Chargers with Painter at QB.

 

[massraider]