It has always been said, “When it’s not about the money, it’s about the money.” Nothing ever changes.
Football coaches know that. And with all of their gimmicky names for situations, there’s one that makes as much sense as anything. Their phrase for third down is often “the money down.”
It’s more appropriate than special teams, often less than special. Never mind that John L. Smith had the great quote about special teams plays netting “giant chunks of land.”
You pay for that land on third down. The fortunes of a football team go up and down on third down.