I honestly don't understand any of this.
In no other professional support is it "expected" to take your foot off the gas - ever.
The rest of your post I tend to agree with, but this is patently false. The NFL airs games where this takes place on a weekly basis. The last time I watched the NBA (admittedly it was over 20 years ago) I always saw teams "running out the clock." It happens nightly in hockey.
