Click on the external link to read an interesting S.I.com article.
Reading this article reminded me of a few complaints that I have always had, namely the stupid overtime coin flip and the pass interference calls that can put a team at the goal line. I have always and will always hate those two things about the NFL.
I actually liked each of his suggestions, I would add one more to the list though; stop treating the QB's like girls in dresses!!!
I hate the way the league protects the QB's! The only reason for the extra protection that QB's receive, is the copious amounts of money that teams dump into that position. I would rather see the league either put red shirts on the QB's and make it so that you just cannot touch them at all or treat them like any other position, rather than the sissy rules they now have in effect.
I agree with a few of his suggestions, but some are just not practical, or are just not good suggestions in general.
ReplyDelete1. Overtime. I don't like the college system much more than the system the pros have now. It is unfortunate that the coin flip can decide games, but I'm not sure the system that the NCAA uses is much of an improvement.
2. Cut blocking. Needs to go. No arguement there at all.
3. Ground causing a fumble. No way. When the player hits the ground, with the ball, the play is dead. End of story. There is no reason for this improvement.
4. PI. PI should be spot of the foul. Otherwise we'll have teams molesting receivers down the field, especially at the end of games and halves. While I think they enforce PI a little much, changing the penalty would just lead to receivers like Randy Moss, T.O. and Koren (when he catches the ball) being taken completely out of the game. You would have no big plays, because the DB would rather tackle the receiver and lose 15 yards than get burned for a TD. Not a good change.
5. One foot in bounds a catch. I'm really kind of undecided on this one. i like that the NFL makes it a little more difficult for a catch to count, and I can understand that having two feet in really makes the "control of the ball" argument easier, (if you can't even get your feet in, how can you be in control?) but I have seen some amazing catches that were ruled out because they didn't get both feet in. Undecided.
6. Force outs are legal. No. Football is not just a game of who can knock who down. Let's keep it about skill and make the DB's cover the receivers.
7. No fair catches. Are we just asking for injuries? Someone is going to get seriously injured if this ever happens. Not acceptable
8. Color coded line. This is strictly a matter of opinion, but I like it. It not only makes it easier for me to see at a glance where a team is (imagine flipping channels between games. It helps) but it also makes it easier to explain to people who don't know football (my girlfriend) why a team is doing what it's doing. I like it for the same reason I like Madden. They help people to learn more about the game.
Of course, these are my humble opinions, feel free to rip me for them as you feel fit!
1. Overtime Two suggestions, one simple, one more complex but much more interesting.
ReplyDeleteSIMPLE: award the ball in OT to the team to score last, thus forcing the OT in the first place.
COMPLEX: The WFL had the right idea, but the wrong implementation. How about making the team EARN the right to the ball? (and not with that silly dash to the 50 to see who gets the ball first)
Flip a coin, winner decides to kick off first or second. Team ONE kicks off, and Team TWO returns the kick as far as they can, say their own 40 yard line.
A Marker is placed at that spot, and the ball is re-teed and Team TWO now kicks off to Team ONE, and Team ONE returns it as far as they can.
If they don't return it to their own 40 yard line or beyond, then Team TWO gets the ball first-and-10 at their 40. Otherwise, Team ONE keeps the ball and has first-and-10 from that spot.
Then play sudden death from there.
If the team who initially recieves the first OT kick scores a TD on their kick return, the other team will get the opportunity to match it. If they too score a TD on their kick return, then we do the whole thing over again.
Advantages
1. this gives each team an equal opportunity to EARN the right of first posession in OT
2. this places an even greater importance on Special Teams play and a good kicker (it IS called FOOTball after all!)
3. even if you give up a TD on the kick return of OT you still have a chance!
2. Cut BlockingI'm can take this one or leave it, I just would hate to have the game FURTHER slowed down by MORE drive killing penalties.
ReplyDelete3. The Ground Causing a FumbleNo thank you. Too much now is left up to replay and interpretation. By definition, a play is over when the hit player hits the ground. End of story.
4. 15 Yard Max Pass InterferenceNo thank you. Even if they played "spot of foul" for the last two minutes of each quarter or half, receivers would be getting mugged on any catchable ball beyond 15 yeards. Maybe this would be a good rule if it came with an "intentional foul" or "5 fouls and your out" clause like the NBA, but that's putting too much legislation into the game.
5. One Foot = A CatchNo thank you. Last I checked this was the PROFESSIONAL football league. Let's marvel at the guys who can get BOTH feet in bounds on the tough catch, and encourage those who can't to try harder!
(this isn't grade-school soccer where everyone gets a trophy just for showing up!)
6. Legalize Force OutsOK I can see his point on this one. Kind of makes up for the "hands off" between 5 yards and the point of the catch.
7. No Fair Catch?NFW! This guy must have an uncle in the undertaking business!
8. No Color Coded StripeKeep the Yellow First Down stripe, but I agree, lose the line of scrimage stripe, and the 20-yd line Red Zone stripe. You can put the line of scrimage stripe up for illegal forward pass and off sides replays, which is the only time it's really needed.
I understand what you guys are saying in regards to the pass interference stuff but I disagree with this in mind. 15 yard penalty works fine in college football and has for years, the recievers aren't really that much more likely to get ugged than they are in the NFL. Also, I am sick to tears of seeing one B.S. pass interference call moving a team down to the goal line. Recievers are running deep routes looking not to catch the damn ball, but to get a flag thrown their way. Sickening, and why should any one penalty be more than 15 yards anyway? No I disagree with you guys on that one, I hate the interference calls, I hate seeing how on nearly every deep pass in the NFL, afterwards, if the reciever didn't catch the ball, they are always getting up looking for the flag, regardless of whether or not there was contact. Too many of these blown interference calls turn the outcome of a game around when at least a 15 yarder doesn't put a team on the goalline for getting a lucky call.
ReplyDeleteI also like the college system WAY better than the pro regarding overtime. To see a team lose in O.T. because they won a frickin' coin toss and proceeded to kick a long field goal, makes me want to hurl every time I see it. It's a complete joke and has nothing to do with football. The way that college decides it is fair and rewards teams for not just relying on a stupid kicker.
ReplyDeleteOK Monkey, you're convincing me on the Pass Interference calls, but the College overtime system is "powderpuff" to say the least. Real men play SUDDEN DEATH.
ReplyDeletePosted by alba
LOL! I understand that sudden death sounds cool, but in reality it usually comes down to the least "manly" player on the team, the stupid kicker. At least in college, they are trying to get into the end zone in OT, in the NFL they are just trying to get into feild goal range, nothing manly at all about that!
ReplyDeleteLike I said...the game IS called FOOTball, so it SHOULD involve a kicker!
ReplyDeletePosted by alba
monkey, mark it down, this might be the first time I've ever truly disagreed with you. And I can't tell you how strongly I disagree with you!
ReplyDeleteAs far as overtime goes, like I said, I'm really not strong either way.
But with the PI calls. I agree that receivers are getting too many calls. But I've seen almost as many college games "decided" by the lack of PI as pro games by the over-emphasis. Anytime a college player tries a hail mary, you know the ball is getting ignored for the sake of attacking the recievers. Any time a team has little time on the clock, DB's are tackling the receivers because they know that 15 yards and a first down won't hurt them. Putting the ball at the spot of the foul will. Recievers are getting way too many calls, the rules for interference and "illegal use of the hands" are being stressed too much, but if we change the PI rules, we give free reign to DBs late in the half/game.
Well, I love the dialog anyway. We'll just have to agree to disagree on those points guys, but I will say this, I really hear where you are coming from, you make very good points.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, it's a very interesting topic.
As do you, I love that you brought all this up, it's an article my roommate and I were actually discussing yesterday. I truly do hope that chops blocks go away though, along with horse collar tackles.
ReplyDeletePosted by PaulieP
I would like them to get rid of the"we can't review the fumble because the play was blown dead" rule. Let the play go, and then it can be reviewed if necessary. I hate it when it is a fumble and they have blown the play dead.
ReplyDeletePosted by winnipeghawkfan
how about robotic refs?
ReplyDeletenevermind, they'd be programmed to go after us too...
another suggestion: Tom White being fired...what he did to us two years ago was unexcusable, and a little fine doesn't eliminate our home advantage turning into a game at Lambeau Field
also...no more booth reviews, how the hell can we trust them? let us just use our challenges...
those are suggestions just to make the game FAIR so we can be treated like everyone else...
as for the overall sport...the pass interference call needs to be penalized for 15 yards...teams are passng more and more down field...and if you so much as cover the WR...it will cost your team big, especially with the new 'cant touch WR' philosophy the NFL is doing
as a CB its frustrating having to run but not touch the WR...in the independent league I play in...they let you touch a bit, but I want to be NFL ready and stick with their rules so i dont make as big an adjustment defending...
ReplyDeletebut i do push off a bit in the first 5 yards, to knock the WR off his route...ive also played WR when we have injuries, so from their standpoint, its a huge advantage to shove the CB aside with them not being able to do anything ike that to you (push aside, like TO does...the only thing that makes him one of the better WRs...other then that, hes overrated)
I definitely agree on the don't blow the whislte until the play is over thing. It really pi$$es me off to see the refs blow a play dead then we see on the replay that there was a legitimate fumble etc...
ReplyDeleteEspecially when the ref is 30 yards away form the play on the other side of the field!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the NFL needs the 15 yerd PI penalty, and a "Flagrant Foul" rule that would award the ball at the spot of the foul. This would remove the fear of DBs just murderizing the WRs on any pass over 15 yards.
Posted by albaNYHawker
And nobody says nothing about my alternating kickoffs at the beginning of OT rule....I thought that was BRILLIANT!
ReplyDeletePosted by albaNYHawker
alba, I liked the alternating kicks idea enough that I was still considering it and looking for possible drawbacks in it. I like this second idea even more, the idea of going with the 15 yarder unless it's a flagrant foul then got to the spot of the foul. Solves both the problem of recievers getting mugged to avoid giving up the big play and soves the problem of bad calls ruining a game and recievers trying to draw a flag. I like it, I like it alot.
ReplyDeletethats what im paid for, monkey...
ReplyDeleteideas ideas ideas : )
whoa nevermind...i didnt realize pass interference was already brought up by Paulie...
ReplyDeleteIn overtime in the cfl, each team gets the ball on the other teams 35 yard line. It is sort of sudden death, each team gets an equal amount of possesions. The first team to score more than the other wins(ie. first team gets a field goal, second team gets a td). I know its just the cfl, but a different way to settle it.
ReplyDeletePosted by winnipeghawkfan
I strongly agree with the "no whistle until the play is dead" suggestion. Very frustrating.
ReplyDeletePosted by PaulieP
No offense to the CFL but I hate this mamby-pamby grade-school soccer "everyone wins" mentality.
ReplyDeleteBoth teams had a full 60 minutes to have an equal chance at winning, and neither got the job done.
If you had the lead but couldn't hold it, that's your problem. If you were losing and managed to tie the game, maybe you should be awarded.
That's why the simplest solution may be to award the first possession in OT to the last team to score.
I LOVE the thrill and finality of SUDDEN DEATH and think that should be a mainstay of the NFL.
They say DEFENSE wins championships. If you can play DEFENSE then maybe you can deal with not getting the first possession in OT and still win the freakin game!