Play to Win the Game

Over the past couple of weeks I have become quite frustrated with some NFL teams play. So, as a result, anyone who chooses to read this has to hear me rant about it.

To begin, last week the Indianapolis Colts pulled Peyton Manning (arguably the greatest Quarterback in the league) with only a 5 point lead in the game. Indianapolis Coach, Jim Caldwell will argue that they had already locked up the number 1 seed in the playoffs and that they really didn't have anything to play for. But what Caldwell doesn't say when he argues this viewpoint is that at the time the Colts were 14-0 and very close to completing a perfect 16-0 regular season. They could then proceed to attempt to win it all and go 19-0; something that has never been done in the history of the league. It would be a great moment in the history of sports because it would mean that ESPN would stop interviewing Mercury Morris and Don Shula and we wouldn't have to hear them whine anymore. Not to mention the fact that they could have gone down in history as arguably the greatest team in the history of the NFL. Let's not also forget the fans who paid hundreds of dollars for their tickets to go watch their team continue to chase perfection only to see them lay down and let the Jets stomp all over them. I have news for you Caldwell, those fans came to see Peyton Manning, not Curtis Painter. And whether you like it or not, you're in the ENTERTAINMENT business and you owe it to the fans to give them what they want to see; their team playing to win the game.

Then came this week. The New Orleans Saints, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Arizona Cardinals all benched starters this week. All three teams got killed, and if I were a fan of any of those teams, I would be completely irate! Had I been in attendance I would demand my money back. It would be like buying a ticket to go watch Journey and have Steve Perry not show up. It's completely unacceptbale.

Then there is a completely different crime: teams MENTALLY benching starters. This happened last week with the New Orleans Saints and this week with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Denver Broncos. These are teams that technically showed but they weren't fooling anybody. The Eagles and the Broncos had something to play for and simply didn't show up. As a result, the Eagles fell from the number 2 seed to the number 6 seed and the Broncos managed to wrap up their own playoff chances and desecrate them in just about every manner ever thought possible. Congrats guys, you just embarrased yourselves.

In a week where I thought I would see some good football, I saw quite possibly some of the worst football I've ever seen, and I watch New Mexico State Aggie football! So, to sum it up, I give props to teams like Cleveland, Carolina, Kansas City and other teams that didn't have anything to play for and yet showed up and won a football game and I wish all of those teams (Colts, Saints, Eagles, and Bengals) that quit before the season was over a speedy exit from the Playoffs.