Let me start off by saying, I am NOT a sports analyst. I don’t know how to break down the 3-4 or Cover 2 defense. I can’t explain how to run the pick and roll. I don’t know how to distinguish the curve ball from the knuckle ball. I can’t tell you when a defensive holding call should have been called and there’s no way I can explain the intricacies of a golf swing. What I do know is that when a running back crosses the goal line, the basketball goes in the hoop, the baseball flies out of the park and he golf ball goes in the hole…points are scored and money is made.
Basically, I’m a sports fan. I’m a sports fan who also just happens to be a woman. In some people’s minds that may make me less knowledgeable about sports and in some instances that may be true. I can’t throw a perfect spiral, but I can show you how to hold a football so you won’t fumble it. I can’t throw a 45 yard pass, but I can show you a good way to tackle a wily wide receiver who catches one. But don't get it twisted, I can hold my own in a sports discussion.
I love watching sports, especially football. From August to February, you can find me either at home watching football, at a sports bar watching football or at a friend’s house watching football. I love football! I love the bruising hits, the long passes, the breakaway runs, the acrobatic catches and even the kick to send the game into overtime!
And speaking of overtime, it’s time the NFL improved its overtime. Right now it basically comes down to the first person to get the ball is going to win. There’s always the chance that the other team will get the football and have the opportunity to score, but as far as I’m concerned, that should be a required part of the game.
If my memory serves me right (from 20 years ago), in Texas high school football, if the game was tied at the end of regulation, the winner was decided on by penetrations – the team that got past their opponent’s 20-yard line the most times during the game won. Seriously?? The college overtime while it isn’t perfect, is a little better...each team gets 4 downs from the 20 to score with mandatory 2-point conversions thrown in the mix. That’s not a bad idea, but what about the fans? The whole overtime is spent at one end of the field, cheating the fans at the other end of the field.
Isn't the reason the stadiums are made bigger and better for the fans?
I haven’t seen an overtime system I like, but I do have an idea. Make overtime an extra quarter. A regular quarter is 15 minutes. That’s too long for overtime, so how about making it a 5 or 8 minute quarter. That way each team can get a chance on offense and the teams move down the field as the action moves down the field. That will make it more competitive for the players and more enjoyable for the fans. With the overtime as it currently is, you can almost see the players who don’t win the overtime coin toss get deflated because they know that more than likely, the team that wins the toss is going to run a couple of downs and as soon as they get close enough for their kicker, they’re going to kick a field goal…FINAL…END OF GAME.
Now there have been many times when the offense has given up the ball or not progressed far enough down field for their kicker to chip it in or the kicker has missed the field goal, but I’m guessing that only happens 15-20 percent of the time. By making overtime an extra quarter, it’s not who scores first, but who can control the ball the longest and then score. It comes down to all the things that make football great – coach outthinking coach, players fighting it out on the field…simple, pure gamesmanship. That’s what football is about!! Not who can win the coin toss and score first. That is about as exciting as watching a 3-point shootout between Reggie Miller and John Daly.
So, Mr. Commissioner, Roger Goddell and the NFL Competition Committee, I think it’s time to scrap the current overtime system and try something new. Since it doesn’t look like you’re going to bring back the Sack Dances, the End Zone Celebrations or the Ickey Shuffle, do something to keep the fans interested in overtime. Don’t let football go the way of Major League Baseball and take itself so seriously that common sense has almost become extinct. Keep it simple and throw in some excitement!
Major League Baseball??? I’ll save that for next time.
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