I honestly don't understand any of this.
In no other professional sport is it "expected" to take your foot off the gas - ever. Maybe a college team winning by 70 points in the 2nd half will stop passing the ball. But why on earth should a professional team stop playing - ever? And why on earth should the other team "expect" you to do so?
I get it's an "unwritten" rule that you stop stealing, etc., but I have to say that particular unwritten rule is pretty much the stupidest thing I've heard. And when does hustling and competing and trying to score equal "showing up your opponent" ?
It's so damn stupid. We were the WORST team in baseball for YEARS; a total laughingstock. We took our beatings. We sucked it up when your fans were in our stadium taunting us when we lost (and yes, Cubs fans did that too). Well now we're in a pennant race and it's not our job to make you feel good about you. You certainly didn't give a crap how we felt when you were kicking our ass.
It's just so damn stupid
