With 1:55 remaining in the playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings, Bret Favre threw an 11 yard touchdown pass to Visanthe Shiancoe. After the extra point, the Vikings lead was at 34-3. That was the final score.
The television cameras caught Dallas linebacker, Keith Brooking, sprinting to the Vikings sideline to castigate Vikings coach, Brad Childress. His complaint? That Minnesota was running up the score and embarrassing the Cowboys.
After the game Brooking said,
I thought it was classless. I thought it was BS. Granted, we get paid to stop them, but we had zero timeouts left. I didn’t think there was any call for that.
Wade Phillips agreed with Brooking. Most people don’t agree with Phillips or Brooking. On an ESPN poll, only 20% of those surveyed agreed with the complaining Cowboys.
I am a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and think that this years addition of Brooking has been an instrumental part of their playoff run. I know he is an emotional player and love watching his pre-game rant that inspires his team. However, he is wrong on this matter. He should have trotted back to his sideline after the touchdown. Any emotions of being upset should have been focused on himself and his team for not stopping the Vikings.
I’m all for mercy rules in sporting events…for amateurs. Once athletes begin being subsidized for their athletic abilities (college and pro sports), the mercy rules are out. Brooking and the Cowboys are being paid millions to play the game. It is their job to keep the opponent from scoring. If they can’t do it, then they need to regroup and consider what they should do the next time.
Brad Childress paraphrased Lou Holtz in responding to Brooking. Holtz said that it is the job of the offense to score and the job of the defense is to stop them. I agree. Favre and the Vikings are supposed to try to score. Brooking and the Cowboys are supposed to stop them. If you fail, don’t blame the other team. That is called whining.
If I were an NFL athlete, I would be more humiliated if the other team did not try. So, to paraphrase Jesus, don’t worry about the splinter in somebody else’s eye when you have a log in yours.
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graceless. classless. gutless.
Tom Landry said “After the game, say as little as possible.” So, I’ll say just this. “Our memories are long. They shall be satisfied.”
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