No One Likes a Quitter

No one likes a quitter and I think most people want to earn what they get. That's why people like "The Donald" Trump get under our skin - people who haven't earned what they have bother us. I think the only thing that bothers us more than that guy who hasn't earned what they've got is the quitter. We like sports, we like the competition, we like the fact that sport is a meritocracy. You earn what you win. Except when you don't; except when the other guy quits.

In January 2002, Brett Favre appeared to lie down while Michael Strahan "sacked" him to set the NFL record for sacks in a season. Rather than a celebration, the reaction from all corners of the sporting world - including New York...or perhaps, especially New York - was condemnation. He hadn't earned the record. On so simple a matter as a sack record, the reaction was generally that of disdain. Now, fast forward 8-years to yesterdays Colts/Jets game. Third quarter, Colts leading 15-10 and the Jets unable to get out of their own way, word came from the man himself - Bill Polian - to pull the starters out of the game. Now what makes this a particularly questionable move is that 1) Peyton Manning was replaced by Curtis Painter, a man who had never once taken a snap in the NFL; 2) the General Manager made the call, taking the game decisions out of the hands of the head coach; 3) there was this little thing called a perfect season on the line; 4) the starters were not injured AND the team had clinched a first round bye meaning that there is already a week built into rest. Now, if you go and legitimately lose a game, you accept defeat and prepare to go forward. We understand competition. What we don't understand is quitters.

Favre got crucified for giving up the sack and Polian was crucified (follow the link above) for making the decision to pull out. Peyton Manning said, "Sure, any competitive player wants to be in there to play. But obviously we had some other things that went into the decisions," Manning said after the New York Jets turned a fumble by his rookie backup, Curtis Painter, into a go-ahead touchdown and went on to beat the Colts 29-15 two Sundays ago. But the pictures of him on the sidelines tell the story of a competitive guy that's pissed to be standing there while all the work he's put in goes circling the drain. And frankly, the Colts laying down in such an obvious manner changes the playoff landscape in the AFC, allowing the Jets back into the hunt when they may not deserve it.

If the Colts were up by a touchdown or more and the decision to bench the starters was made, we'd understand that. It's just there was no rhyme nor much reason to the decision and this is one of those cases in public relations and in team dynamics when Occam's Razor comes into play - the simplest explanation is the best. If the simplest, and best, explanation you've got for pulling your starters in a Week 16 game when you're 14-0 and ahead by only 5-points in the third quarter with a bye week before the playoffs start for your team, is that you thought they needed to rest, you really need to reconsider your logic.

Who knows, it may be the right decision in the long run. The Patriots capped off a 16-0 season by getting beaten by the Giants in the Super Bowl after the G-men gave them a run for their money in that 16th game. Belichick's choice to go for it on 4th and 2 to go against the Colts may have been the right choice, but damn it's hard to explain. Same thing here - it may have been the right decision, but damn it's hard to see how. If the Colts do go on to win the Super Bowl, the players and fans will always have that question - "WHAT IF?" If they fail to win the Super Bowl, or worse, lose earlier in the playoffs, they'll have nothing to show for their season. The only way Polian escapes this death spiral is if The Colts go into Orchard Park and legitimately lose that game, and go on into the playoffs to Win the Super Bowl. Imagine a scenario in which the Colts play the New York Jets for the AFC Championship - an arrangement made possible ONLY by their having laid down yesterday - and they lose, sending the Jets to the Super Bowl.

I hate quitters. Polian quit on his players and on his fans.