|
It had to be written by lawyers!! It is not what you KNOW it is what you can PROVE. How can you prove that 53 was in the game? If the player is not in the book, and had caused nothing in the book to be altered then how can you PROVE that he played? Did the official book fail to enter his name and cross off the quarter played? Yes. But that was not noticed until AFTER this player was OUT of the game. Therefore, if the player does not return to the game you can not PROVE that he was ever (officially) in the game because there would be no alteration to the official ledger recording the game. Sure every mom and pops video camera will show him playing, sure YOU know he played, the radio people know he played, even the running box score computer people know he played. However, none of those are offiical ledgers and recorders of the game, therefore, what they KNOW does not count towards what can be officially PROVED.
Is it semantics. Absolutely. But words means things. (Sort of like the difference between an eligible player and an available player, but I digress)
Fortunately in this case, that can of worms didn't have to be opened and can be returned to the shelf next to the SPAM Hash and sardines!
|