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From: woods@hao.UUCP (Greg Woods)
Newsgroups: net.social,net.women,net.sport.football
Subject: Re: Team Sports, an observation (and a plug for bridge)
Message-ID: <212@hao.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 11-Sep-86 12:07:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: hao.212
Posted: Thu Sep 11 12:07:20 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Sep-86 05:27:46 EDT
References: <1127@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU>
Organization: High Altitude Obs./NCAR Boulder, CO
Lines: 24
Xref: watmath net.social:1389 net.women:12755 net.sport.football:1883
Summary: DON'T stop until you hear the whistle, or you could get hurt

In article <1127@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU>, melissa@mit-trillian.MIT.EDU (Melissa Silvestre) writes:
> 
> There was one point in one of the NFL games, in which the receiver stopped
> running after he stepped out of bounds, even though the referree had not
> whistled the ball dead yet. The commentators said they figured the runner
> just assumed the ref saw it, and they said something to the effect that
> he should just keep on running because you never know what the refs might
> miss.
> 
> If there's one morality pro sports teaches, it seems to be that "it's
> only wrong if you get caught." 

  While the commentators may say that, there is another, more important
reason to keep running. If the defenders don't hear the whistle, they are
likely to take a good shot at you. If you aren't prepared for it, you could
be injured. Many injuries occur this way.
  As far as the morality goes, I think what it really is is, "the referee is
always right, even when he's wrong". That means stepping on the white line
doesn't make you out of bounds, the referee *declaring* that you stepped
on the white line (and blowing the whistle) makes you out of bounds. Throwing
the pitch over the plate does not constitute a strike until the umpire
raises his right hand. Etc.

--Greg