Football began as a game played by collegiate gentlemen and its rules still reflect that tradition, but often in modern professional play this is forgotten. New Englands strategy of using formal announcements of eligibility to dynamically adjust the offensive line was absolutely brilliant, exploiting modern expectations about the way things are supposed to work that are, in fact, mere conventions that have evolved in contravention of the traditions of the game. Baltimore, to their detriment, were caught by surprise that there is – and should not be – anything in the rule book that requires the overspecialization of players that always happens in modern televised professional football, except when it doesnt. Im not a huge football fan, but I know the game and can appreciate when the 1920s re-emerge for even a brief instant in 2015. Thanks to Ric Santurri for pointing out this article.
Posted on: Sun, 11 Jan 2015 16:48:14 +0000