Editing 1552: Rulebook

{{comic
| number    = 1552
| date      = July 17, 2015
| title     = Rulebook
| image     = rulebook.png
| titletext = It's definitely an intentional foul, but we've decided it's worth it.
}}

==Explanation==
{{Incomplete|first draft}}

This comic is a direct reference to the film ''{{w|Air Bud}}''.  In the film, a golden retriever becomes the star player on a basketball team. The opposing team contests the legality of having a dog as a player, but the referee, having reviewed the rulebook, responds "Ain't no rule says a dog can't play basketball."  The same scenario is parodied in [[115: Meerkat]].  This comic also makes a subtle reference to another movie, ''{{w|Babe (film)|Babe}}'', in which the owner of the titular pig enters him into a sheepdog contest by exploiting a loophole in the entry form, which only asks for the entrant's name but not its species. (It is implied in this film that Babe's performance in the contest would ultimately decide his fate.)

Here, the opposing team turns the rulebook loophole against the first team.  Because rulebooks are considered the final arbiter of decisions in most sports, [[Ponytail]] suggests that, since it isn't explicitly prohibited, her team is allowed kill and eat the dog.  By mixing the conceit of ''Air Bud'' and the other films in its series with the pathos of ''Babe'', Randall highlights the absurdity of all of these films.  This comic could also be seen as a commentary on Hollywood's habit of building movies by reassembling basic tropes that tend to do well in the box office.  Using the same strategy, Randall has created an absurd and anticlimactic premise for a movie.

The title text acknowledges that killing and eating the dog would likely result in a "{{w|technical foul}}" (interfering with other players), but the benefit of committing the foul would be worth the resulting penalty (giving the other team a couple of free throws).  This of course ignores any local laws that could cover the proposed killing, such as animal cruelty laws.

Given the title text, possibly Randall is poking fun at the practice of intentional fouls, which is especially common in basketball. Although a foul is by definition against the rules, a team will deliberately violate the rules (and accept the penalty) as a strategy to gain some perceived advantage--especially a team that is behind in the late minutes of a basketball game. A common example of such would be an association football (soccer) player intentionally fouling a player with a strong attack so that their team can regroup and defend properly, beginning with attempting to repel the subsequent free-kick.

The number nine could also refer to the former ninth planet {{w|Pluto}}, and also a dog in the Disney chain is named {{w|Pluto (Disney)|Pluto}}. The {{w|International Astronomical Union|International Astronomical Union (IAU)}} ruled out the status planet to this celestial object in 2006, shortly after {{w|New Horizons}} was launched. And this is still disputed today {{Citation needed}}.

Rule books are also mentioned in [[330: Indecision]] and [[393: Ultimate Game]].

==Transcript==

:[Cueball and Megan are standing with a dog wearing jersey number 9, Ponytail and Hairy are facing them holding a rulebook.  The horizon is visible behind them.]

:Ponytail: There's nothing in the rulebook that says we can't kill and eat your dog.


{{comic discussion}}
[[Category:Rulebook]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]