When I wrote my blog yesterday, I had no idea that Marvin Lewis originally wanted to punt the ball on 4th and 11 with 1:04 left in overtime. Punt the ball? It would’ve been a 58 yard field goal, which apparently is out of Shayne Graham’s range. But punt it? Seriously, punt it? Why bother even being a coach if you’re just content to let the game end in a tie? It took Carson Palmer, Andrew Whitworth, et al. to convince Marvin to go for it on 4th and 11. At least he was smart enough to listen. And thank god Palmer converted it. But if this ended in a tie, I would’ve been madder than if we had lost the game.

Let me explain. Last year, I was immensely pissed when the Bengals and Eagles game ended in a tie. I don’t buy a single argument that the NFL makes in favor of keeping the OT rules the way they are. The NFL should adopt an OT similar to college. No ifs, ands, or buts. Whatever objections people have, there must be a compromise to amend all problems. There are a ton of good ideas out there. Why must the NFL remain obstinate? A tie is the worst way to end a football game. No one benefits from a tie in any professional sport.

Allow me to digress for a moment. I mentioned Hemingway in the title because I was just thinking about The Old Man and the Sea when I was thinking about this blog. Santiago, the old man, battles a marlin for over three days and eventually succeeds, only to have the marlin eaten by a shark. At one point during his epic struggle alone on the sea, he muses that, if he dies along with the fish, “nothing would be accomplished.”   One of them must succeed. 

If Marvin doesn’t change his mind and lets the team punt the ball, it very well could’ve been a tie, AND THEN NOTHING IS ACCOMPLISHED. You start the game at 0-0, and then you end with the same margin. Why play the (bleeping) game if you’re going to end in a tie? In all competitions, there must be a winner and a loser. This is not a bunch of 3rd graders playing pee-wee football. This is not a bunch of kids going out just to have fun on a Saturday afternoon. Once someone graduates high school (hell, I’d even say grade school), there should be no more ties left in life. There should be no moral victories. You either win or you lose.

If we had punted the football and Josh Cribbs runs it back for a touchdown, I would’ve been mad, but overall I would’ve been relieved. Someone would’ve won the game. If they had punted the ball and Derek Anderson throws four in-complete passes and we end a tie, I would’ve punched a hole in the wall. Why would you not automatically go for it at that point in the game? Even if you hesitated for a second, I would think that’s a crime.

If Carson Palmer doesn’t scramble for a first down, and we end up losing the game, I would’ve thought, “At least they went for it.” At least they didn’t chicken out and play it “safe.” You can play safe for the first three quarters of a football game. That’s fine with me. Once you get to the last minute of overtime, there are not excuses. You go for it.

Hemingway also wrote, “Man can be destroyed but not defeated.” Hemingway didn’t write, “If the situation looks tough, you should give up.” If you lose this game, you lose this game. It’s a loss and you deal with it. You need to have the chutzpa to say, “Screw it, I’m going for it. I don’t care if it doesn’t work. We’re going for it.”

I don’t care if a tie is an “improvement” in the standings. I’d rather have the loss and be out of the playoffs rather than have a tie and be in the playoffs (ahem, 08 Eagles).

On a totally different topic, I didn’t write anything about Brad St. Louis and his putative “bad snaps.” I saw those replays of his snaps and they didn’t look all that bad. Shaun Rogers is just a ridiculous beast of a man. He has the highest number of blocked field goals/extra points currently in the league among active players. Plus, I don’t think Graham had much arch on the extra point that could’ve ended the game in regulation. I don’t know, I think St. Louis has become a scapegoat for what really was a combination of factors: Not-a-perfect snap + bad arch on football + Shaun “I eat for two and I’m not pregnant” Rogers.

Oh well. Those are my thoughts right now. Now I’m just going to sit and stew about what the Ravens game will have in store. I have no clue what Bengals team will appear next Sunday.