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==
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."  This comic also refers 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.  Randall is using this logical fallacy to highlight the absurdity of the plots of both ''Air Bud'' and ''Babe'', and perhaps more generally to comment on Hollywood's habit of making new movies by combining basic tropes that, by themselves, tend to do well in the box office.  At the same time, Randall has created an absurd and anticlimactic premise for such a movie.

The title text acknowledges that killing and eating the dog would result in a {{w|technical foul|foul}} (interfering inappropriately 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.  Randall is poking fun at the common practice of intentional fouls, something that happens particularly often in basketball.  Although a foul is by definition against the rules, a team may deliberately break those rules and accept the penalty in order to gain some perceived advantage.  In association football (soccer), a player may intentionally foul an opposing player with a strong attack to allow his team to regroup and increase its defensive position, starting with blocking the resulting free kick.

The dog in the comic is wearing the number 9, which may be another subtle message: {{w|Pluto}} was regarded as the ninth planet in the Solar System until the {{w|International Astronomical Union|International Astronomical Union (IAU)}} removed its status as a planet in 2006 (a decision which is still disputed today{{Citation needed}}).  {{w|Pluto (Disney)|Pluto}} is also the name of the famous Disney cartoon dog who exhibits human-like behaviors in some cartoons.  Finally, according to at least one site, Pluto is [http://www.new-dog-survival-guide.com/popular-dog-names.html one of the most popular dog names], at least in part to the connection to Disney's Pluto.  Given his interest in planetary sciences, Randall may be making a subtle protest to the IAU's 2006 decision by stating "Pluto is #9".

Randall previously parodied the "animal-as-player" loophole in [[115: Meerkat]]. 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]]