Friday, July 07, 2006

Peter King's Four Point Stance Makes Him an Idiot of Crap

(to comment, click the green number to the right of the title above)

Peter King unrolled another lame one today:

Make long field goals more valuable: Simple: Any field goal 50 yards or further is worth four points. No traditionalist would want it. But no traditionalist wanted the three-point shot in basketball, and look how much fun it is to see Dwyane Wade or Vince Carter go wild from 28 feet. Electric stuff. Imagine the Lincoln Financial Field crowd at a 14-10 game, Philadelphia trailing Dallas, late fourth quarter, Eagles' ball, fourth-and-six at the Cowboy 35. "A-kers! A-kers! A-kers!" the crowd shouts, serenading David Akers as he runs on the field. And now the game's in his hands. Or on his foot. It'd add value to the long field goal, and make more games competitive late.

Most of his suggestions in this article were tolerable. but the suggestion that 50+ yard field goals should be worth more points is further evidence that Peter King either smokes crack, doesn't know football from a hole in the ground, or both.

While he describes the advent of the three point shot as an initially disliked, but now welcome addition to the sport of basketball, an implementation of this type of scoring would be devastating to football.

Imagine this scenario, if a 50+ yard field goal was worth 4 points. The clock is winding down below 30 seconds left in regulation. Team A is behind by four points, and has the ball on the 40, essentially a 57 yard field goal. What team A wants at this point is to be between the 33-35 yard line, a 50-52 yard goal for a four point field goal to send the game into OT.

So they need between 5-7 yards. Not more, not less. What is the defense of team B supposed to do? Fall over and let them have eight yards, ruining their chance for 4 points? I suppose they could always have a longer snap, but that would screw with kicker's heads for sure, and make the whole situation a little more prone for error. A longer snap has greater chance to miss.

What if the player from team A with the ball gets close to the 33-35 yard line, and appears ready to down it? If the defender from team B is behind, should he try to push them FORWARD to the 32?

NO. That's not football. Football is about the gridiron, about defending your turf and attacking theirs. IN NO WAY should you ever want the opponent closer to your goal line. Never. It's part of football menatality. To create a magic zone in the middle of the field, that the defense either needs to keep them from crossing, or to push them beyond, goes against the fundamental principles of football.

Defenders would always have to worry about that special range during the whole game. Offenses would be doing "catch and kneel" drills in preparation for that scenario. Which is just sissy. When you catch, it is pure football to try to get to the end zone. Wetting your pants and dropping at the 33 is for (felines). Get closer to the goal, that's what football is all about.

Another result of this is the increased emphasis on the kicking game, which is just WRONG. The kicking part of football is ancillary to offense and defense. That's why special teams players are paid less, and 2nd and 3rd stringers make the bulk the unit. Increased emphasis on kicking is not good for football. In other countries, that is all they cheer for, but they are all limp wristed soccer lovers, and kicking is all they know. But this is American Football, and it built on running around and beating each other's brains out, not KICKING.

I hope I made my point.

28 comments:

  1. The other thing to point out is, he wants to do this to make the end of games more exciting.

    Because the NFL has trouble getting fans...

    Look, this isn't hockey which was dull as white bread before the rule changes. That game needed tweeking, there were to many stoppages in play, the games were low scoring. Some minor changes here and there, and the game is a lot better.

    This isn't baseball where a three hour game is excrutiating. I love baseball, but the time of game can be to long sometimes.

    This isn't the NBA, which just suffers from a bad product because its a bunch of high schoolers running around with no fundamentals. That will change with the ne rules.

    Football, right now, is perfect. Does anybody complain about football? Show me the column that says, "The NFL needs to add some excitement to its games." No one has written it because the sport is doing great, and if I may go out on a limb, the greatest sport on the face of the Earth. Bar none.

    Plus, if you give an extra point for extra long field goals, you take away one of the greatest moments in any football game: the hail mary. What would you rather see, a long field goal, or a Hail Mary? Scrawny dude with a single bar helmet (no offense, Josh Brown) or men battling it out for one last play after fighting for 59 minutes and 45 seconds, for one last attempt at the ball. Thats drama, and thats what makes football great.

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  2. Who's more lame...Peter King or Chris Bergman?

    Guys that have been cranking out the same druel for years and have completely devolved into a "commentater"--with an emphasis on tater.

    How about we eliminate the forward pass rule and let any player pass the ball at any time?

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  3. As long as we create a new leage and call it ruby, I'm down with that. Rugby is awesome!

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  4. Great point about the hail mary. Think of all the great plays that would never had happened had there been the possibility of a point field goal.

    And I love rugby. Got the scars to prove it.

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  5. An idiot of crap?

    Good points all around, although I like white bread. Now they have whole grain white bread, so its good for you. Peanut butter and jelly on wheat is not good.

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  6. At least rugby players can take a hit. Touch a soccer player, and he'll flop to the ground in an instant.

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  7. BigO,

    You're full of fudge. Rugby is the product of pure testosterone. There is no way any flamer could survive any rugby game I've ever been in. It is counter to everthing that is important to the gay stereotype.

    Besisdes, to play rugby, you have to be willing to get the crap beat OUT of you. If you're gay, you want the crap beat INTO you.

    And to say soccer is a thousand times better than rugby is like saying that scented pink lace curtains are a thousand times better than a shiny new Kenworth. My wife would pick the curtains, because she's a sissy, prissy woman. And you obviously pick soccer for similar reasons.

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  8. Can we get back to the greatest game period?

    Gentlemen, this is a football site. Why on earth are we discussing sissy games like Soccer? Why Rugby, Baseball or Basketball? You guys are going at it like we are not on the same damned team anymore.

    JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE????

    Oh, its the offseason and its been a couple weeks since yours truly has done an artical. that explains everything.

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  9. It's the off season. We're all victims.

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  10. BigO, not sure if you're a Seahawks fan or not, however, read the following for my retort to you.

    Soccer and rugby both suck btw, although like baseball, hockey and basketball, both are fun to play. Watching any of them is excruciating unless its minor league or kids leagues, then it's fun and funny.

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  11. "And you obviously pick soccer for similar reasons."



    Do I???? LOL Did you not read where I said how much Soccer I watched? I'm sorry but rugby is gay as hell.

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  12. Sorry Josch or whatever, couldn't go to that site (banned where I work). Yes I'm a huge Seahawks fan, born and raised in Seattle, Seahawk fan since '81, I was 5. Oh yeah, Rugby is gay. I have no beef w/ any Seahawk fan, we're all brothers as far as I'm concerned, but um yeah, Rugby is gay. Anything that only the English and Australians play is automatically gay.

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  13. Ah, so your're not just talking about actual homosexual gay, you'e talking about going camping with a purple tent, putting a sweater on your dog, driving a minvan, owning a dvd copy of 'Beaches', eating sushi, taking an interest in your wife's decorating kind of gay.

    I'm down with that. Not with being that kind of gay, (not that there is anything wrong with that) but with your sentiments about soccer and rugby.

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  14. "Ah, so your're not just talking about actual homosexual gay, you'e talking about going camping with a purple tent, putting a sweater on your dog, driving a minvan, owning a dvd copy of 'Beaches', eating sushi, taking an interest in your wife's decorating kind of gay."

    Exactly!!

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  15. As a rugby fan, I'd like to point out that its the second most popular sport in the world, not just in Australia and England.

    And on that note, I have to ask, who puts a sweater on their dog? Thats just stupid. They already have fur. Dude. Seriously. That is not cool.

    Someone, please post a new message...I know its the offseason but dogs in sweaters?

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  16. Since kicking is ancillary, then football should get rid of field goals and kicked extra points entirely. I'll accept points awarded for drop kicks (a la Flutie!). And when a team punts, it should lose a point or two. I've never understood how kicking entered the game in the first place.

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  17. By the way, JoSCh, the 'Idiot of Crap" thing... There is a story there.

    I was trying to jabber in spanish with Kenber and AZ in the forums. I called Kenber "idiota de mierda" - Idiot of Crap. I honestly thought it meant something else. But it was funny on so many levels it has become a staple in the recent Bluefoot vocabulary.

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  18. hey i like soccer. soccer is great, never played rugby but it looks brutal. Whats up with all the bad mouthing of soccer. Did you see italy win the world cup thats my team.

    Anyways back to the topic. I swear i already posted on Friday but i guess it dodn't post so here it goes. Blue you should seriously e-mail King and ask him to reply. After the pints you made he should feel pretty dumb.

    Can you imagine Denny Green's thinking if the 4 point rule was put in place. Now sense i have a horrible red zone offense & the best FG kicker let me kick the 50 yarder now take my 4 points instead of getting to the 3 yard line to kick a 3 point rule.

    Seriously soccer is great especially the world cup. It's the greatest sporting event next to the super bowl in my opinion. Come on its not the worlds most popular sport for no reason. I swear soccer players take acting lessons the way they fake their injuries.

    Azzuri are champions for the 4th and for 4 more years.

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  19. BigO, your job blocks The Onion! QUIT NOW, you work for communists! Re minivan gay... Hey, all the seats fold into the floor, it's awesome! It's got a t.v. in it fer Chrissakes.

    Rugby fans, BigO said it best... Gay = Rugby, Rugby = Gay.

    And to add to that, soccer < rugby, rugby = GAY, therefore soccer = megaGAY.

    Meez, why is Italy "your" team? Bandwagoner. I do like the "play beautiful" commercials, so go Brasil, get a team dentist for crying out loud though.

    And "Come on its not the worlds most popular sport for no reason." is straight b.s., its the worlds most popular sport because the U.S. isn't good at it.

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  20. I love the Street, but my head hurts from reading the ignorance coursing through this thread.

    You guys know the 'Hawks like the back of your hand -- you should keep the discussion to American football.

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  21. Naw JoSCH not communists, worse, the Dutch.

    Meez, you are a bandwagoner, just shut it. I was rooting for France but I had a valid reason, it's called the Brotha Factor, France had more brothas on their team than Italy, so there you go, I kinda had my team choosen for me (also the reason I was rooting for Ghana to destroy us). It's the worlds most popular sport because they don't really have any other ones, 90% of other countries would leave a football field on a backboard, and well if there were real world Basketball games we'd always win, screw patchwork NBA squads just send the finals winners and it's over. GO SEAHAWKS.

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  22. CC, ignorance is bliss. If it hurts yer head, stop reading. It's Alan's fault anyway, he mentioned rugby. Did anyone say rugby=gay yet?

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  23. Oh for Crisakes!

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  24. Meez, why is Italy "your" team? Bandwagoner. I do like the "play beautiful" commercials, so go Brasil, get a team dentist for crying out loud though.

    Meez, you are a bandwagoner, just shut it. I was rooting for France but I had a valid reason, it's called the Brotha Factor, France had more brothas on their team than Italy, so there you go, I kinda had my team choosen for me (also the reason I was rooting for Ghana to destroy us).

    How am i bandwagoner. I have supported Italy as long as i could remember. I was with them in 98 and 02 when the refs screwed us over. Baggio missing that PK in 94 against Brazil in the finals still kills me. I actually watch Italian soccer and not just when the world cup comes around. I have family in Italy so I am pretty up on Italian Soccer. My favorite team is Inter Milan. I could've sworn that i said i was Italy at the beginning of the tournament on this site.

    Yeah i wanted France to come to the finals because they have so many "Africans" on the team, but Italy comes before all even the U.S.A and all the African nations which i hope win a world cup before i die.

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  25. ....Yeah, and I've been rooting for Italy since the the early 40's. Always root for the underdog. Oh, what's that, soccer you say? I was way off.

    And rugby is gay, but only half-gay. That half being the womens teams. I imagine the men's teams have their fair share of gays too, I mean, who wouldn't want to roll around in the mud, rubbing up against 15 dudes, trying to reach between their legs to grab a greasy ball... But I reckon there are just as many gays in other sports, like ice dancing. And fencing.

    But back to the topic at hand. 4 points for a long field goal is GD rediculous. How this: The hawks are down 4 on the 5 yard line, it's 3rd down, with 30 seconds left, and instead of going for the touchdown, they..... run the ball backwards to the 33 and out of bounds! Yeah! They'd never see that coming! Brilliant!

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  26. lol now you see why I never touched this thread. For the record, I agree with pretty much everything Blue said above, though I never read the full article.

    Oh, and ill throw it out there...Brazil is #1 for me, Spain #2. In fact, my disliking America (in case someone takes that personally, email me and ill explain it in full, but trust me, not enough space on this site for that...) makes me claim im Jamaican or Brazilian, which of course, im not. Im cherokee...

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  27. "Oh for Crisakes!"

    Concur. Meez, I don't care if you root for Italy, Czech Republic, Antarctica, or Xylon 17, I was messing with you. As stated above, soccer < rugby, rugby = gay, therefore soccer = megaGAY. Also, so this converstation can end, me saying soccer = megaGAY is also messing with anyone who likes soccer. I care more about messing with your GAY-SOCCER-LOVING emotions than soccer. Which is also a joke. Jokes over.

    So I hear some of the Seahawks lifted weights or something today. Possibly jogged around a bit. Had a sandwich, maybe some soup and a sports drink. Pretty interesting...

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  28. We did that yesterday, too!

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