By Sean Millington,
CFL.ca
I had the opportunity to attend the B.C. Lions’ last home game and besides being entertaining, it sparked some thoughts for me about the nature of sportsmanship and etiquette in football.
In that game while leading the Stampeders by 27 points, the Lions attempted and successfully executed an onside kick. After extending their lead by another six points, they attempted a two-point convert.
Now this is something that just doesn’t happen in football. For some reason it is not considered sporting to run the score up on an opponent or to pull out all the stops when a team is all but assured of victory. My question is who came up with such a ridiculous idea?
I loved those plays by the Lions; they spoke to everything that I feel football is about. It’s hard, mean, vicious and unforgiving. If you can’t handle it don’t step on the field.
It’s not my job as a player to spare the opponents feelings or to protect their egos. That’s their job. I say let them look after themselves and if they lack the wherewithal to do so, let them think twice about stepping on the field next time. That’s what made those two plays by the Lions so exciting for me; they clearly and unequivocally sent a message to the Stamps that we are here to dominate you — we are not going to let up when we get you on the ground.
Football is a game where no quarter should be given and none asked. Too often after suffering a sound thrashing the victimized team will sound off in the media complaining about their treatment. To that I say, what did you expect? If a team puts in their second and third string players and these guys are scoring what should be done then? Or if the first string stays in to pad some stats, is that against the rules?
Last year while playing for the Argonauts I was part of a scenario that illustrated this very issue. After a game with the Ticats in which we had completed wiped the field with them, Ticat defensive coordinator Kavis Reed charged across the field to confront then Argo offensive coordinator Kent Austin. Kavis felt that Kent was trying to run the score on his guys and embarrass them by having third string QB Charlie Peterson throw for the end zone near the end of the game.
Now don’t get me wrong. I like Kavis and think he’s a good guy, but at the time I was thinking, this is absolutely ridiculous. It’s his job to stop us, not the other way around.
The responsibility of the offence is to score points and it’s the defence’s job to stop them — end of story. It’s not unsporting to do one’s job. To look at it another way, if a team’s offence is leading by a significant amount and their defence is orchestrating a shutout, should the defence ease up a bit, maybe allow a few scores so that the other guys aren’t embarrassed? Of course not!
A team is going to try to achieve certain objectives on the field of play. If the opposition is unable to stop them from doing so — whatever those objectives may be — then that’s their problem. If a team feels like running the score or attempting “trick plays” or not giving up any points that’s their prerogative. It’s up to the opposition to stop them.
Football is not Polo or Fencing with all sorts of unwritten rules of etiquette. It’s a legal street fight where anything goes. Don’t step in the ring unless you’re ready to suffer the consequences.
Sean Millington played 13 years in the CFL with the Edmonton Eskimos, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, B.C. Lions and Toronto Argonauts and has been a panelist on the CFL on CBC since 2003.
(The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of the Canadian Football League)
