... up the score" in recent years. The most common center of this controversy has been the New England Patriots and their record-setting offensive performances in 2007 as a whole, as well as various times in 2009.

Is this controversy warranted? Is "running up the score" really such a bad thing?

There are several reasons why "running up the score" is not the unsportsmanlike terror that many portray it as, and I will cover some of them here.

1. To Prevent Come-From-Behind Wins

On January 3, 1993, the Houston Oilers held a 35-3 lead in the early third quarter against the Buffalo Bills in a wild-card game. After a 28-point third quarter, the Bills managed to win the game in overtime.

On January 21, ...

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