Roger Goodell must be too involved in his being the “Morality Chief” to make an effective overtime policy in the NFL. Every time that he has been in the news recently it’s either been in relation to the Brett Favre allegations, or for analyzing the severity of the hits. Nobody will deny the scariness and long term effects of concussions, but this micromanaging by Goodell is outrageous considering a few factors.
First and foremost, there are franchises struggling at the turnstiles. The economic downturn has had an effect on the Lions, Jaguars, and the Raiders. Even San Diego, a franchise with recent success, is experiencing trouble selling tickets. It is also an absolute travesty that the NFL does not have a team in the Los Angeles area. The City of Industry is currently constructing a stadium anticipating either an expansion franchise or one to relocate. This is a dangerous plan considering that Kansas City built an arena and doesn’t have an NBA or NHL team to occupy it.
The possible future work stoppage should be Goodell’s first priority. It’s a no win situation for all parties if the players aren’t on the field next season. But after that….
…the overtime format that the FBS teams utilize in NCAA play is an exciting way to complete a game that was dead even through regulation. It allows each side to have a chance at possessing the football and scoring a touchdown. The NFL tradition of deciding who obtains the important first possession by a coin flip is much too important to leave to chance. Millions of dollars are wagered on these contests and they should not be left this much to chance, rather than the skill of the players on the field.
Moreover, the NFL system places excessive emphasis on the kickers. Chicks dig the long ball on the baseball diamond and fans want to see the marquee names put the ball in the end zone. This is why touchdowns are at such a premium in fantasy football leagues. It’s anti-climatic to see a NFL game that is neck and neck to come down to which side has the best kicker. Adrian Peterson and Aaron Rodgers sell all the jerseys, not Jason Hanson and Ryan Longwell.
The United Football League has a version of the extra period that is a combination of the two formats. They allow each team to have one possession that is gained through receiving a kickoff from the other squad. After the two possessions, the game then changes to a sudden death scenario. This is not an ideal situation because the fans don’t understand it and rules of the period should not be altered halfway through it. Donovan McNabb took a lot of heat for making a comment about tying games while he was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.
This was not warranted, because his job is to execute the plays that the offensive coordinator calls, not study every inch of the NFL’s inept overtime policies.
–Patrick Herbert