Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2013 February 6

= February 6 =

Canadian TV viewership
I was wondering if someone could help me locate the audience figures for a film that aired on HBO Canada last year. The Girl debuted on Saturday 20 October 2012 at 9pm. I have British and US ratings, but if possible I want to add the Canadian viewing figures to the article as well. Thanks in advance. Paul MacDermott (talk) 16:08, 6 February 2013 (UTC)

Question about an American-football story
I recall reading a story that (allegedly) occurred during a (college?) American-football game, roughly as follows:
 * A team was about to kick the ball (for a conversion perhaps, or a field goal or something: I don't know). Its coach tried to send a couple of replacement players out onto the field to take the place of people there, but the players on the field sent them back. The coach tried again, and again the players sent the newcomers back. The referee fined the team a few yards for delaying the game, and then the replacement was made. It turned out later that the kicker had not been happy with the angle of the kick so close to the goal and had wanted to be farther.

Can anyone put a name and date on this story? Or, show that it's very unlikely true (e.g., the kicker could just walk back a few yards if he wanted; or, any time a team might want to kick, it's illegal to replace players)?&mdash;msh210 &#x2120; 23:18, 6 February 2013 (UTC)
 * I can't say I've heard that one, but it could make sense, in the earlier years when the hash marks were farther apart, or maybe even non-existent. Unlikely to be on a point-after, as that's centered. But if the ball was spotted at the hash mark and with a narrow angle for a field goal attempt, they might have decided it was less risky to accept a 5-yard penalty than to try to hike the ball an extra 5 yards. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 23:30, 6 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Without commenting directly on the veracity of the story, it seems implausible as the other team always has the option of declining the penalty. If a team took a deliberate delay-of-game penalty to get a more favorable angle, the opposing team has the option to decline the penalty and make them kick from the spot they were trying to get away from.  You will sometimes see this with punts: A team will take a deliberate delay-of-game penalty to punt from farther back and decrease the chance of a touchback occurring, it rarely works as the receiving team just declines the delay-of-game and forces the team to punt from the same spot. -- Jayron  32  02:51, 7 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Good point. Although, aren't there certain penalties that can't be declined? Although I can't think of any just now. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 03:21, 7 February 2013 (UTC)
 * There are a few loopholes that pop up, but these generally get closed as soon as someone tries to exploit them. Technically, you can still always decline the penalty, but they often happen where the assessment of the penalty occurs during a dead ball situation, and thus the following play is "blown dead" before it can happen.  Just this past season (I think it was a bowl game) there was such an exploit.  For safety reasons, in college football, having 12 men on the field is considered a "dead ball foul" and the officials will not allow the play to go forward.  A team was down by two points, and attempting an end of game field goal.  The defending team had no time outs, so deliberately ran 12 men on the field right before the kick to ice the kicker.  The ball was snapped and the kick was good; except the play was blown dead because the 12 man penalty is a dead ball foul.  Even if it was declined, the kick wouldn't have counted as the penalty was assessed before the snap.  The kicker missed the second attempt.  The two announcers were discussing whether or not the NCAA would look into changing the rule to prevent that sort of advantage.  -- Jayron  32  04:04, 7 February 2013 (UTC)
 * Here it is. It was the 2012 Belk Bowl.  Cincinnati was the team that iced Dukes kicker by exploiting the illegal substitution penalty.  This forum discusses it.  It wasn't the end of the game, it was the last play before half time.  -- Jayron  32  04:06, 7 February 2013 (UTC)