01-04-2023, 02:30 PM
(01-04-2023, 02:16 PM)Science Friction Wrote: Then they need to just shorten the rulebook that includes just one rule: "THE COMMISIONER CAN JUST MAKE SHIT UP."
I don't agree with this line of thinking. That clause is very important and necessary IMO. It is nigh impossible to make a rulebook that has a clean, lined out solution for every possible situation. You need to have a clause in there that allows for human intervention. Hamlin had to be revived on the field. There isn't really a rule in that book that will lay out an efficient and fair procedure for a player temporarily dying on the field and the emotional impact that can have on everyone involved. That is something that needs to be handled by a human with tact and empathy, not the cold efficiency of documentation.
We also aren't privy to conversations behind the scenes. For all we know, Goodell called Buffalo and Cincinnati and both teams said "we don't want to continue the game, let's find an alternative solution." I suspect you will disagree with this post, and that is fine. I am not the adjudicator on what is right and wrong here - there is no objective answer. You are perfectly entitled to wanting the inverse. I just think that legal language like that is very important because inevitably, you will run into a situation that isn't outlined in the rulebook or requires more intimate management in order to navigate. I think what happened on Monday night is an example of such a situation.
