Pat Caputo: There Are way too many unwritten rules in sports
There are written rules and unwritten rules. Count me among those getting annoyed with the unwritten kind in sports.
The Tigers and the Angels played a baseball game at Comerica Park recently that was notable not so much for the written rules of the game, but rather the unwritten codes that were allegedly violated.
There is no rule against bunting against a pitcher in the late innings when he is carrying a no-hitter. Yet, when the Angels' did, it clearly incensed Tigers' pitcher Justin Verlander.
There is no rule against standing at home plate and admiring a home run. But when Detroit's Carlos Guillen did just that, it outraged Angels' pitcher Jered Weaver to the point he felt compelled to throw the next pitch at 92 mph in the direction of Tiger catcher Alex Avila's head. He was subsequently ejected from the game and suspended six games.
Unwritten rules are nearly as much a part of sports as those which are crystal clear in various rulebooks.
These are the worst unwritten rules in my opinion:
