Donovan McNabb didn't know that NFL games could end in ties

yahoo ^ | 11.17.08

[InvisibleChurch]

Donovan McNabb's team tied the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday, an outcome which came as a complete surprise to the 10-year NFL veteran:

insert video here

What did ... I mean ... how can ... wow. That's it, wow. He didn't know that games could end in a tie. You know who knows that games can end in ties? Everyone. Even Tony Siragusa knows that.

[InvisibleChurch]

[cripplecreek]

True and it’s crappy.

[Alberta's Child]

Good point. The scoring system you described isn’t for hockey, though — it’s for soccer. Hockey teams get two points for a win regardless of whether they win in regulation, overtime, or a shootout.

[ETL]

apparently it’s the first game in 12,387 to end in that score

Regular and pre-season games only end in a tie if there is no scoring in the one and only sudden death period. For playoff games it's a different story.

[mikrofon]

LOL

It would really s*ck to have the OT end by a safety — I kinda hate the concept of awarding points w/o possession of the ball anyway...

I always thought the offending team should just free-kick from their goal line, or give the ball up on their 2 if the safety occurred on 4th down (e.g. a blocked punt).

[NCC-1701]

“...Cincinnati has played the NFC East tough, and they are arguably the toughest division in the NFL....”

True enough about the NFC East.

Cincinnati pushed Dallas hard but Dallas somehow maneged to BEAT them. Philly had FIVE quarters with the Bengals and all they could do is eek out a sister-kissing tie. Pathetic!

[Exit148]

"If the game can end in a tie after overtime, why not at the end of the 4th quarter? Either end it there, or play the whole 15 minute overtime for a final score."

I'm with you on that. I don't like the luck of the coin toss to have such an advantage. It doesn't assure a win, of course, but it does give a big edge -- when all you need is a field goal.

The only time I'd want a tie is when the Jets play the Giants.

[Pietro]

"If they can’t resolve it in overtime, they should go to the format they use in college football for overtime."

They should adopt that format anyway, it's much more exciting and more fair to boot.

[SoothingDave]

I’d prefer to see the Arena football overtime — each team gets at least one possession. Then it’s sudden death (or 15 minutes).

Eliminates the “coin toss” luck in games with only one possession and the wimpy behavior of teams that play for the field goal.

[SoothingDave]

What’s “fair” about a defense that keeps its opponent bottled up in their own end all day being “rewarded” in OT by giving the opponent the ball in field goal range?

[Straight Vermonter]

I’ll never forget the Giants-Redskins tie game in 1997. Gus Ferrotte headbutted the wall and injured himself. What a dope.

[Pietro]

What’s “fair” is that each team gets the ball, unlike the majority of current OT’s in the NFL. Three completions = game over. the loser of the coin flip usually loses the game.

[E=MC2]

What’s “fair” about a defense that keeps its opponent bottled up in their own end all day being “rewarded” in OT by giving the opponent the ball in field goal range?

The only way that the team's opponent gets the ball in field goal range is if the team's offense screws up or the team's defense lets them in. It is a team sport.

[rintense]

After one scoreless OT, they should go to the college OT rules.

[Straight Vermonter]

They gave my Giants all they could handle.

[Alberta's Child]

Even worse . . . How much does it s#ck to have an OT game end when the receiving team runs back the kickoff for a TD!

[Alberta's Child]

The one thing I don’t like about NCAA overtime rules is that almost all OT games end with very high scores that don’t accurately reflect the offensive/defensive capabilities of the teams. And aren’t the players’ personal statistics skewed by overtime, too?

[ConservativeWarrior]

So what? I bet Andy Reid didn’t know either!

He might have known about the tie. What he didn't know was that given their place in the division, a tie was a good as a loss for the Eagles. They needed a win for a shot at the wildcard.

They should have been going for it on 4th and anything. Now they're done.

Just as well, they're a crap team. Their coach couldn't call a play to save his life, though in fairness he might have been distracted by one of his sons brandishing a weapon on South Street. McFlab's a joke. When he throws an interception or misses his receiver by a mile, all he can do is pat his chest, and smile like a mental defective. Yeah, it's hilarious, you big dumb, ape.

The true victim here is Brian Westbrook. On a real team's roster, he'd be tearing up the NFL.

[Alberta's Child]

The Giants were also one of the teams in what is rightly regarded as perhaps the worst game in the history of Monday Night Football (and the only tie ever in a Monday night game, I believe) . . . a 20-20 tie with the Cardinals back in 1983.

The kicker for the Cardinals missed THREE field goals in overtime that game -- including one from 19 yards out!

[Pietro]

football ain't about statistics. The Steelers often have the "highest" rated defense but it ain't worth a bucket of spit if they don't Win.

It's only about winning, everything else is window dressing.