bostonia3333

I think the british aren't really familiar with downing the ball and what it means. They probably just want the usual game pace to just continue and get their money's worth

Higgins86

It will never be understood in the uk. Rugby is the closet sport to american football and in rugby it is the team's goal to destroy the opposition. If they walk on the field with them they are fair game!

Draper

We could learn a thing or two...

NickOGS20

I think most that were there know the deal with taking a knee and the reasons why, it's just a foreign concept (literally I guess). I guess the rugby comparison above is apt - even if a Premier League rugby team were up by 50/60, if they forced a turnover with a minute to go they'd still be looking to run in a score.

Think the uproar that occurs when teams in the NFL 'run up the score' is even more of an alien concept. Took me a while to get my head round it and I still hate it.

Scouse Patriot

What you have to remember is 98% of the crowds at Wembley are fans and know the idea of clock management. Like I said earlier it is a mixture of our attitude to sport and the Bucs fans booing the Patriots. It's just the way it is here, there is no running up the score, it's simply if you can't keep up then thats your fault for being sh!t.

upstater1

It's not that. It's the fact that time is kept differently in both games. There is no 35 second clock in soccer. In football, running out the clock equals winning. This is no different than defending more with a three goal lead. Don't tell me Europeans don't do that in soccer.

NickOGS20

Obviously there's differences (the use of goal/point difference in soccer/rugby is another) but it's the same mentality. We're not talking about taking knees when 10-7 up - obviously that makes sense and would be the equivalent of a soccer team pulling everyone back in the last few minutes when defending a 1-0 lead. We're talking about taking knees at 35-7, with the game already won.

It's pretty rare teams defend more when 3-0 up or more with time running out. There's usually an element of taking it easy but they have freedom to play and often go for more goals, especially if the other team is pushing forward looking for more goals and can be caught with a sucker punch on the counter attack.

I'm talking about running up the score being an alien concept, not running out the clock.

upstater1

When we used to get a lead in Rugby, we kept the ball in the pack.

The same thing happens in most sports I can think of. Big lead, you let the air out of the ball and let time run out. Soccer it's the same thing.

upstater1

I see what you're saying but I was referencing today's game. I don't think Belichick tries to stop scoring to take it easy on the other team. You put in backups to gain experience, and if your stars get hurt when you're trying to run it up, then you probably not that smart of a coach. Players on defense are more susceptible to injury. I think any coach with a big lead will try to stay on offense as long as possible.

I don't think there's that much regard for not running up the score as much as there is for injuries.

BennyBledsoe

You'd figure the American 'gung-ho' attitude would translate into more blowouts and less playing 'nice' and not the other way around.

I wonder what 'nice' is a remnant of? The early Ivy League/Victorian sensibility?

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