The Choice: To Pass or Not to Pass, that is the Question!!!

[Reginald Rutledge]

One of the biggest dilema of the solitaire player revolves around ethics. Any solitaire player will tell you he struggles with the forces of wanting his favorite team to always win and then doing the right thing. It is a perpetual problem, masked by putting scores up that may have happened or not, if all things were equal.

But the truth is, when your favorite team plays, you always seem to root for them, even in the world of miniature. My favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings 1975-76, should win this Greatest Teams Solitaire League, if all things worked out according to plan. However, I know in my heart, that this team although great, is playing up against some of the greatest teams of all time.

So, chances are slim and none, that if played out properly, the Vikings will not win any Super Bowls here. The thing is, I love all NFL teams pretty equally. That's why, building this league, takes on a special significance. Each team I create, were teams that I deeply rooted for throughout my life. Many people think I am strictly a Cowboys fan. To the contrary, they are just one of many teams I like. So when creating teams, you've got to ask yourself, "How can I be fair to everybody".

One of the things I thought about in building this league is "How will I do the passing". I am one of the biggest advocates for passing with the quarterback but I know, if one team lose, I don't want that unethical behavior thinking to creep in. "Did I purposely not throw the ball as accurately as I needed to because I wanted that team to win" or "Would I have forced that ball in there if a certain team was playing" are just a few of the questions I deal with.

So in order to alleviate that, I think I will use a mixture of Pass and Pass Simulation. For the season, I will pull from a hat whether a team use the physical pass or the Andre Rule.

I like doing this because again, it becomes a half-and-half thing. The Andre Rule will speed up the game because it is a simple shake of the box, whereas the physical pass is a stand up, move around the stadium and make the tough throws.

I don't won't to ever stop physically throwing the ball because that's the greatest aspect about MF that I like. But I also want to pay homage to the Andre Rule because after watching my friend Jim Davis enjoy and hate the box because of the pass, I think I need to see what that was all about.

By doing these two things, I can only hope for fairness by both methods. I just know I want to lessen any questionable practices of having a good time. But it will be great seeing how these two methods play out opposite each other.

So the question is" To pass or not to pass? The answer will be: Both!!!

Reg