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Play out the string

Posted by Smokey Stover on October 08, 2006

In Reply to: Play out the string posted by David on October 07, 2006

: In sports, we often hear that when a team ahs lost all hope of reaching the championship (or postseason) they "play out the string". What string are they referring to?

You've no doubt heard of first string, second string, etc. The first string are the starters, the players who give the team the best chance to win. The second string are backups and sometimes next year's starters (in collegiate teams). If you know you're going to lose, it makes sense to give everyone, especially the bench-warmers, the chance to play.
SS

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