My name is Berg, I am obviously the "Berg" portion of Tearlberg, and it will be my pleasure today to provide a different perspective on Big T's argument that it is acceptable for coaches to take out their best players at the end of a season.
First off, I do not argue that they have the right, obviously as head coaches they have that authority, I'm merely saying that they shouldn't. This past year is a great example to look at since the Colts essentially gave up a pursuit of perfection. That is my first point...I don't believe it's good practice to essentially do "just enough" on a job. Any job worth doing is worth doing right, to include winning your next football game, whether you are 14-0 or 0-14, you don't just let it slide, especially in pro sports where you are paid ridiculous amounts of money as a grown man to play a game. Something the rest of us do on a Saturday for fun.
That brings me to my next point, grown men playing a game as a profession is only possible because there are a lot of people, like me, out there who are willing to pay hard-earned money to watch it. It is an entertainment industry...that's it. That's what it all boils down to. Undoubtedly there are men out there playing it for love of the game, but the only reason they can is because Joe-Sports-Fan out there is willing to pay for him to do...as long as it is entertaining that is. Contrary to popular belief, the goal of the Indianapolis Colts is NOT to win the Super Bowl, that is a secondary goal. The purpose of the Indianapolis Colts, as an organization, is to make money. The best way to make money is to have fans, the best way to have fans is to be fun to watch, and winning the Super Bowl is a good way to make your fans happy...but so is winning every game and winning the Super Bowl, something the Colts had a chance to do before taking out their best players to avoid injury.
As a fan of the Colts I am upset that I had to watch Peyton Manning NOT play when I tuned in to watch. I am an admitted bandwagon fan of the Colts. I basically like them because I like watching perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time practice his art. Hey, as a fan, I am the one enabling him to perfect his craft so it is only natural that I want to reap the benefits by watching him do it, instead of watching him sit on the sidelines busying himself with not getting hurt.
Now, I realize that there is a chance that Peyton could get hurt in the fifteen to twenty series he sat out this season over the course of the game and a half or so, but that is part of the sport too. No, I don't want him to get hurt, that would be terrible. Beside the fact that I would never want someone to get hurt, I wouldn't be able to watch him play...of course, that is a moot point since I wasn't watching him play anyway. Look, football is dangerous, just like every other sport and practically every other activity out there. Peyton is just as likely to fall down the stairs, or get in a car accident, or choke on his breakfast, or any one of a hundred things we are all susceptible to. Life is short and hazardous so let me watch my favorite player while he's healthy. I am a fan, and that is what I want to watch. There are precious few games in an entire season in the NFL so the last thing I want to do is watch some scrubs for a few of them.
I'm not even sure that there is enough evidence to show that a team gains an advantage by resting their stars players to have them "fresh" during the playoffs. Certainly they are better off if their best players avoid injury, but we have already addressed that. I am talking about the assumption that they will have fresh legs and perform better after a long season if they get a little rest leading in to the playoffs. The playoffs are a totally different beast than the regular season (something that really irritates me, but that may be a rant for a different day), so you can't afford to have your best players be rusty after sitting on their butts, picking their noses on the practice field. Fresh legs are not as critical as good timing and playing at the same speed. It is better to be tired but fast and on time, than it is to be fresh and sluggish with your timing, especially for a quarterback and his receivers. It may only take a quarter or two to get used to the speed again, but in the playoffs that may be too little too late. As a player I would much rather be riding the high of being undefeated than of being a fresh loser.
So coaches, sorry if your football players get hurt by playing football for my entertainment, but there is no such thing as an unimportant game. As a fan, if I'm watching, it's important...play to win.
-Berg
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