When did it become ok to run up the score? I can understand players and coaches trying to defend that move. It's their team. They have to. But I'm surprised by how many people came out and defended the Vikings when they ran up the score on the Dallas Cowboys in their win on Sunday.

Here was the situation: Minnesota was up 27-3 at the two minute warning. Dallas was out of timeouts and the Vikings faced 4th and 3 from the the 11-yard line. Rather than kick a field goal or bring in the 2nd unit to run the play, the Vikings kept their starters on the field and threw for the endzone, running up the score to 34-3.

Just about any other move would've been acceptable. If they run it up the middle and score, they could claim that they just wanted to get the first down so they could take a knee the rest of the way. If the 2nd unit comes in and does anything, they could just claim that they wanted to get the 2nd unit some work. If they kick a field goal, it's still a score, but it was 4th and 3 and they could claim that they wanted to get their kicker some work because kickers have been the difference in every close game in the playoffs so far.

Apparently, a 24-point lead in the final minutes wasn't enough for the Vikings.

Keith Brooking was upset about the play and attempted to confront Childress, Favre and the Vikings sideline before being escorted away. Asked about the play afterward, Brooking said: ""I thought it was classless... I thought it was B.S. Granted, we get paid to stop them, but we had zero timeouts left. I didn't think there was any call for that."

The players and coaches disagreed:

Pat Williams: "We don't care what Keith Brooking says... He was about to get his ass whupped on our sideline over there. It don't matter. Nobody said anything when they blew out the Eagles."

Sorry, Pat. The Cowboys didn't score in the 4th quarter of either game when Dallas beat Philly the previous two weeks. It's less about what Brookings says and more about respecting your opponent, respecting the game, and showing good sportsmanship as an example. As I mentioned before, there were several other options for the Vikings on 4th and 3 in that situation, and they went with the play that showed the least amount of class.

Williams: "It's the playoffs. It ain't no regular-season game. If you lose, you go home. We take no pity on them."

There's a difference between pity and respect, Pat. The Cowboys had already lost. They were on their way home. There was no way Dallas was going to win the game at that point. And your team decided to rub it in their face in the worst way. It's supposed to be entertaining, and it's supposed to be a game. And showing some class at the end would've been a great sign of sportsmanship on a big stage.

Minnesota head coach Brad Childress: "As Lou Holtz used to say, 'It's our job to score points. It's their job to stop us from scoring points.' That happens. It wasn't rubbing it in. It's just taking care of business and being aggressive at the end of the game."

Where was that aggressiveness the rest of the game? Why would you only "get aggressive" when the game was already in hand? The Vikings didn't go for it on 4th down until they were up by 24 points on the last two drives of the game. On 4th and 6 at the Dallas 6, you kicked a field goal in the 2nd quarter. On 4th and 8 at the Dallas 35, you punted in the 3rd quarter. On 4th and 5 at the Dallas 10, you kicked a field goal in the 4th quarter.

Where was the aggressiveness then? That argument doesn't fly.

It seems like you wanted to rub it in against a Cowboys team that a lot of people picked to upset your team. It seems like you wanted to pad Brett Favre's stats to stick it to everyone who thought he would struggle against the Dallas defense. I have yet to hear a good explanation for why Minnesota scored that last touchdown and I doubt that I'll hear one.

I'm a Drew Brees fan and have been for a long time. He went to Austin Westlake High School and broke out with the San Diego Chargers when I was at the University of Texas. He was one of those guys that had to work harder for everything he got because people have underestimated him at every step of the way. Miami had a chance to acquire him after San Diego dropped him and I was immediately upset when they went with Dante Culpepper instead. Now he's thriving in New Orleans, and I'll be rooting for them against Minnesota on Sunday.

And if New Orleans wins a trip to the Super Bowl, I'm sure they'll do so in a classy way.