Maryland has been ranked first most of the season in soccer. Currently the polls rank them second with Akron first and Notre Dame third. However, the NCAA tournament committee seeded Notre Dame first (either because they won the Big East or they get special bias), Maryland second and Akron ended up seeded fifth. The upshot of all this is, if each team plays as predicted, the Terrapins will be facing the Irish for the championship. (Also, it may be the only time in history you can say Notre Dame football is ranked third and it doesn't matter if you are talking to an American or any other nationality.)
On a completely different note, coaches and sport banquet hosts are always saying sport teaches us lessons. This was illustrated dramatically in the latest Monday Night (American) Football game with the Steelers and Kansas City. The Chiefs performed an excessive group celebration after an apparent fumble recovery and runback for a touchdown. Upon review it was ruled an incomplete pass—no touchdown. But the penalty stands. It gave the Steelers a first down on an otherwise fourth down with the incomplete pass.
The lesson (other than never be too proud of yourself): Fictive things wink as they will; but the penalties remain.
5 comments:
Ah, but are not the rules of the game fictive things as well? After all, the rule could just as easily be that you get penalized if you fail to celebrate excessively after a play.
But, perhaps this is your point. There is no winking unless the rules are enforced as written letting the chips otherwise fall where they will.
As in the "Laws of Nature", the rules in my mind also are fictive things. Here, I sensed, the episode exhibited a 2nd order of magnitude of fictive. We have rules for fumbles and rules for passes and rules for touchdowns. But we also have rules for taking each of those things away—rules on those rules. It seemed like fictive things to the second power.
And I like the idea of a rule requiring celebration, however, the Chiefs dance made a mockery of the word 'celebration'. Perhaps points could be awarded or taken away based on the quality of the celebration.
Yeah Maryland's in the final 4.
Yea Maryland's in the final 4.
One of the most exciting soccer games ever. I won't even reveal the score. You have to watch it yourself (ESPN3). You needn't worry about lack of scoring. There's plenty of action.
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