Read the arguments by Babe Ruthless and Bleacher Fan.
The term “running up the score” stirs up raw emotions in the minds of passionate sports fans. Can you believe the term “running up the score” actually has a Wikipedia page? On one end there is the winning team, the one that is enjoying the show and enjoys seeing the opponent suffer. Or maybe the team is just trying to make a point for a variety of reasons (to impress pollsters, embarrass a rival, etc.). On the other end, however, the losing team argues that it is not right to kick a man when he is down and that running up the score shows a lack of class – it is just plain poor sportsmanship. This topic could be argued all day long back and forth. Instead, The Sports Debate is here and come up with a conclusion.
This debate comes in light of last week’s game between USC and UCLA. If you do not know the story, UCLA called timeout after USC was trying to run the clock out by lining up in victory formation late in the game. USC then decided to throw deep, and was able to complete a long touchdown pass, thus creating a stir at the end of the game.
There are countless examples of situations where the winning side could be accused of running up the score. How many times have the Florida Gators, USC Trojans, New England Patriots, and other teams been accused of running up the score? As a matter of fact, The Sports Debates somewhat danced around this issue back in September with our “College Football Mercy Rule Debate.” But as the title suggests, that debate had more to do with having an actual “mercy rule” in college football.
Running up the score is not limited to football either. There are ways to run up the score in baseball, basketball, and other sports. In baseball, maybe the winning team continues to steal bases late in a game that is well in hand. In basketball, perhaps the winning team continues to have a full-court press on with their starters, despite being up 30 with two minutes to go in the game.
Babe Ruthless, in an argument that fits the persona like none other, will argue that it is perfectly okay to run up the score for a variety of reasons. It is, after all, one team’s job to stop another. Bleacher Fan, on the other hand, will argue that it is inappropriate to run up the score on an opponent in any situation on any level in any sport.
The floor is yours! Give it your best shot!
