Comments on: Mercy Killing

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:41:34 +0000

Well, Don Banks, they can’t get close enough to hit him. Go ahead and put the target on his back. They’ll be lucky to even get a look at it.

By: jon

jon — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:37:05 +0000

One thing that seems to get overlooked is that Belichick teams have ALWAYS ‘run up the score.’ His philosophy is clearly to be aggressive as possible and never let up. Remember last year when Testaverde threw that TD pass against Jax and all the pundits freaked out? Wasn’t there talk of bad sportsmanship against Green Bay last year because Brady played most of the second half in a total rout? Brady has never come out of a blow-out game earlier than with 5 minutes left as far as I can recall, and every year there are at least two games when the pundits complain that BB leaves Brady in too long. So the line about Belichick “giving a finger to the league” is either specious, or BB’s been giving the finger to the league most of his career (maybe?). The only difference between this year and years past is that instead of only two or three opportunities to blow people out in a season, the Pats are just too damn good and blow other teams out game after game.

By: jamesgarnerisgod

jamesgarnerisgod — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:01:15 +0000

My still-favorite comment was Jason Campbell’s talking about when the Redskins “are in situations like this” they don’t run up the score. When was that, exactly? Playing Uno with your 6-year-old nephew?

Now we have SI’s Don Banks essentially calling for opponents to put a bounty on Brady and/or Moss. Think I’m kidding?

“It’s fair to wonder if New England’s pour-it-on mindset will leave it vulnerable to any repercussions in the season’s second half? Will some humiliated defender put a target on Tom Brady’s back, or try to take out his frustrations via a cheap shot on Randy Moss’ slender frame? Revenge, of course, is a two-way street, and the Patriots’ habit of winning big certainly isn’t winning them any friends, but it may be influencing their enemies. If a team did try to take revenge, the impact on New England’s Super Bowl dreams would be obvious.”

Nice. You want to know when RunningUpTheScore-gate will stop? How about when the league gives back the half-million it stole from Belichick, the quarter-million it stole from the Krafts, and the thousands it has stolen from Wilfork, Vrabel and Brady (for not snapping ALL of the snaps on his chin strap!).

Until that day comes, just open up and say “aaahh.”

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:19:18 +0000

Isn’t Shannon Sharpe being the voice of reason one of the signs of the Apocalypse?

Any player out there who says “We’d never do something like that” is either lying or played his whole career with the Cardinals. Everybody else has been on the doling out end of a blowout where something was done late in the game that could be characterized as “running up the score”.

By: Hieronymus

Hieronymus — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:44:36 +0000

One of the hosts on WEEI, when talking with Bruschi about it, said he had no problem with the Miami game, but he took particular “offense” at the two yard pass to Welker for the TD. Like you said, is it supposed to be better if they ran it in with the fourth string running back, like they did against Dallas? Oh wait, that got complaints too.

Idiots. I liked Shannon Sharpe’s comment quoted here earlier in the week – of course they ran up the score; that’s what offenses are *supposed* to do. And that’s more or less what Bruschi had to say to the EEI host.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:54:42 +0000

Thank you. This is exactly correct. At least in my opinion. The pats blew an 18 point lead against the Colts last January and Belichick will not let that happen again. He’s preparing them to play a full game every game so they go into the playoffs (and this Sunday) knowing they are expected to keep the other team from ever getting back in the game. Up to now, this has been practice for the Colts and any other teams they meet in the playoffs.

By: turn68

turn68 — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:39:13 +0000

Great column as usual.

But why must you insist on running up the verbal score against other, lesser columnists, in your trade? Have you no shame?

You’re making other NFL commentators/writers look downright pedestrian. You are toying with men who have been writing far longer than you and making far more money.

Please desist. It’s embarrassing. Think of the greater good of the profession of sports column writing.

Maybe, in the last quarter of your column, you might ease up? Mix a metaphor. Dangle a participle. Call Randy Moss a name. Use the word “classless” in a derogatory way. Call into question three championship victories and then source it onto the shoulders of “a friend I have on the competition committee.”

Mercy, Snapp.

Mercy.

It’s the mark of a benign, loving sports writer.