SOMEBODY SHOULD BE FINED AND/OR SUSPENDED IN INDY
I must write about sports. Yes, the Saints lost again. But at least they tried to seek perfection. The Colts tossed it away. For that the NFL must act. Either the team or the owner or some responsible party should be identified and either fined and/or suspended for at least one game. Policies must be put into place to prevent a recurrence. (And while the Commissioner is at it a verbal spanking to the ‘72 Dolphins for being poor sports is in order as well)
This affects the integrity of the game: The Jets are in a tight fight for two playoff berths left in the AFC with Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, Denver, and Miami. For a team to in effect lay down affects the other teams seeking that playoff spot. Hence, this cannot be tolarated. The Commissioner must act to prevent this from a recurrence. The Jets were sanctioned for a misleading injury report to protect the integrity of the game. This is no different.
This insults the efforts of the players. The Colts played well to get to that stage. They were being acclaimed as potentially the team of the decade. This insults that effort. It may hurt them in the playoffs because it introduced a major conflict factor. In future years, this will affect the play of the Colts or anyone associated with this decision at any team they serve at.
It hurts the league. The fans have an interest in the NFL, especially if they pay to see a game. There are television and radio contracts as well as cable and pay-per-view revenue. This sort of shenanigan costs the NFL in credibility and standing. The fans of the teams seeking those playoff spots have been robbed of their chance to see their team prevail fairly.
Since the issue of undefeated seasons has now seriously come up twice since 2007, there must be rules in place for this situation. No resting of players without a legitimate reason (running up the score, for example) and how it is done must be approved by the Commissioner in advance. This also applies for meaningless games whether the team is undefeated or not. Hence, there must be action taken by the league against the Colts and whoever is responsible for the decision last Sunday to “rest” these players.
