This may fall into the category of my blog a month ago: a story in search of an application. But the unique close to the NFL regular season between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders deserves looking at. If you missed it, here’s how ESPN writer Bill Barnwell set up the scenario:

Both the Chargers and Raiders knew they would make it into the postseason with a win, but the third scenario made this endgame unique in recent NFL history: A tie would have pushed each into the postseason at the expense of the Steelers, who won earlier in the afternoon. The chances of both teams taking a knee were always nil, but it was fair to wonder whether they would be upset about settling for a tie if they got into a sticky situation late in overtime. – Bill Barnwell, ESPN

For a while it looked like the Raiders, with a 15-point lead would win. But the Chargers came back and tied it in regulation. So they play a 10-minute, sudden-death overtime. In their first possessions, both teams did as well as they could, but each ended up with a field goal. Still tied with about 4 minutes left. The Raiders played a little more conservatively but still drove the ball down the field, close enough for a 47-yard field goal attempt. At that point, they could have taken a knee, game over, both the Chargers and the Raiders advance. Instead, they kicked the field goal and won the game, Chargers go home, Raiders and Steelers advance. Unlike the college championship game I wrote about yesterday, the coaches did NOT have a long handshake and congratulations after the game. It was about the most perfunctory post-game greeting I’ve ever seen. Lessons?

• The first lesson is very important: both played to win. There was no “under-the-table deal” to play for a tie. Sure, at the end, Chargers would have loved a tie, and the Raiders could have given it to them, but the Raiders played to win. At a minimum, this speaks to the integrity of the game.
• It feels like the “Christian” thing to do would be, given a simple choice at the end, just take the tie, then everybody (on that field) is happy. But that’s not a victimless crime: one of the three teams – Raiders, Chargers, Steelers – have to not go to the playoffs.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. (1 Corinthians 9.24, ESV, emphasis mine)

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way… (Philippians 3.13 – 15, ESV)