BYU taking a knee

[EM_Puma]

As the game was nearing an end and BYU was in the red zone (or blue zone--not sure if KS has continued BM's label), I suspected that BYU would not score and take a knee, even though there was just a bit too much time to be able to run out the clock, and then it happened.

BYU has an established history of doing that in similar situations.

What blew my mind was Kirk Herbstreit and Rece Davis poo-pooing the concept of a team taking a knee to not up the score. Could BYU have scored with 2nd/3rd stringers? Yes, and the ending score would have been 62-3. KH and RD suggested that it might be more "in-your-face" to take a knee as you're pointing out to your opponent that you beat them so soundly that you now were just showing them mercy.

I can understand that, but I totally disagree. It has been established by the majority of thinking that taking a knee is showing sportsmanship and not being condescending. That really surprised me as I was hoping BYU took a knee, but then to have it pointed out by the two as believing it was worse for the opposing team took me aback.

[hawkwing]

I think it's fair to say that taking a knee is good sportsmanship, and at the same time it's more demoralizing to the other team.

On the one hand, a team goes in and scores, you can say, well, I fought hard and did my best, I had a chance to stop them and just couldn't, they just powered through. But when they take the knee it says, they only saw that team with pity, not as someone who had any chance to stop them.

[hypercoug]

I think in the end, taking a knee and leaving the score 55-3 is just the right decision. As opposed to scoring and making it 62-3. Who cares what those guys say anyway.

[YNot]

BYU taking 2 or 3 knees from the 10-yard line and turning the ball over on downs because we couldn't take up the rest of the game clock, when it was obvious that we could have scored again to go over 60 points, and THEN Navy taking a knee to end the game, was probably the BEST sportsmanship college football has seen in a long time.

[Jarhead]

Honestly I’ve moved beyond that concept. I think a team should just continue to run basic plays with their backup players. No trickery and no home-run plays on purpose.

[scott715]

Agree