That Flat Excuse

[Voice of Reason]

I often hear "They were flat" when someone describes a loss. Personally, I think "flat" is just an excuse for when you really got your butt kicked. Teams that meet a faster, athletic team look "flat" because the team they are playing is better. Things they have been able to do in other games, they suddenly don't work. It isn't because they are "flat". They don't work because the team they are playing is better. Those open holes and blocks that were easy all year suddenly aren't there and the loser just can't admit the other team might be better. So they say they were "flat". I find it almost laughable when there is a big, hyped game and the losing team says "we were flat". That is bull. So what does everyone else think? How does a team ever come out "flat" for a big game? Or is "flat" just an easy excuse when you don't want to admit the other team is better?

[sportsnut859]

I've never put that much though into it, but it sounds correct.

[Ram]

Personally, I have always thought of the "flat" comment as meaning the team thought they already had the game won, and were not mentally ready to play. It might just be me, but is what I always thought.

[PigSkinFan42]

Like #5 I never really gave it much thought, but it does make sense.

[LoveTheGame33]

IMO........flat is just a description of how your team is playing. Over the years I have seen teams from youth to pro's that come out one particular week and just don't play with high intensity for that specific game. That's when the description of playing flat is used properly whether the team wins or faces defeat. If a good respectable coach or fan knows that his or her team just got their butts kicked by a better team they will admit it.

[ColonelMike]

I've always felt the "flat" story merely related to the lack of intensity by a team. Whether a coach uses it as a lame excuse or merely to describe his team's effort is kind of a case-by-case thing...

[PigSkinFan42]

Even though the coaches may use it to describe the intensity of their players, couldn't one argue that the other team made the play flat?

Edited October 8, 2009 by Ram
Rule 13

[Voice of Reason]

even though the coaches may use it to describe the intensity of their players, couldn't one argue that the other team made the play flat?

 

That's my point exactly. :thumb:

[PigSkinFan42]

yeah Voice since you brought it up I guess I would have to say now that I feel the same way you do.

[LoveTheGame33]

even though the coaches may use it to describe the intensity of their players, couldn't one argue that the other team made the play flat?

 

That's called playing a much better team. When you have 11 on 11 and some key players from one side just can't muster the intensity to get going and pull his team above, then the team may look flat. IMO...an opposing team can't make you play flat.......they can kick your butt all over the field, and that's just being a better team. This is a very opinionated question, and it seems like only the coach can say if his team was flat or they just got out-played.

[PigSkinFan42]

generally if you're being outplayed you're going to be flat, and you are right it is a very opinionated question.

[nees1212]

Every description here has related to the losing team. What about a winning team? IMO, the term flat means a team is just not mentally into the game. They have no intensity, they just go through the motions. The other team has nothing to do with a team being flat. You can usually tell during warmups if a team is going to be flat or not. I know this thread is going back to the HHS - St. X game as many have said X was flat.

[PigSkinFan42]

I can understand what you are saying some nights players just don't execute and miss assignments, but the question is why? is it because the other team is that much better than them or do they just have other things on their mind that night.

[Voice of Reason]

Every description here has related to the losing team. What about a winning team? IMO, the term flat means a team is just not mentally into the game. They have no intensity, they just go through the motions. The other team has nothing to do with a team being flat. You can usually tell during warmups if a team is going to be flat or not. I know this thread is going back to the HHS - St. X game as many have said X was flat.

 

The HHS - St. X game definitely got me on this thought, but if you read a lot of the threads like I do it is amazing how often that flat excuse comes up. Heck, in the HHS - Simon Kenton Frosh thread where HHS won the game 42-0 someone is asking in a post if SK was flat. I saw flat used in several threads the past few days and I finally could not take it any more. There is ZERO chance that St. X. was "flat" for the Highlands game. The only time I can think that a team might truly be "flat" is if they are highly favored to win a game and they just don't practice hard enough all week and they don't bring intensity to the field. In any game that is expected to be a challenge, teams don't show up flat.

[CooperPride]

I understand the reasoning, but I totally think that a team coming out flat is also a lack of mental preparation. Football is considered 85% mental, and I think part of that is getting yourself prepared. I think a team that you hear being called "flat" is a team that just doesn't have their mind in the game. I don't think it is a knock on the opponent, but more just a way for coaches and others to realize that their football team is a lot better than they have shown on a given night.