A mixed idiom for the first post. Luke Turgeon in the Gold Coast Bulletin (15-16Mar 2008, Weekend Bulletin, p170), perhaps carried away by the excitement of the night, tells us that prior to the Titans v Cowboys game last night, the captain, “Bailey laid down the gauntlet to his troops”. It sounds like the team had a very gentle ‘talking to’, although Turgeon reports that the captain called for “more aggression and toughness”.
Lay down the law - to assert positively and unequivocally
Throw down the gauntlet – to invite someone to argue, fight, or compete with you
Run the gauntlet – to have to deal with a lot of people who are criticizing or attacking you, or, to have to move by a line or group of people vying for your attention.
I’m guessing Bailey wanted the team to “take up the gauntlet” (the challenge) and thought that laying down the law would be the best way to encourage that. It worked. Congratulations to the Titans, a team at the start of its second season, for defeating the Cowboys at the brand new Skilled Stadium.
