YOU.. yes you.. Have just been made honorary NFL commissioner for 24 h

[ThurmasThoman]

And can make 3 changes to the league. What would they be and why?

 

Just a fun thread to take our minds off how terrible the Bills are. A lot of times I read things like this, and get a new perspective on the game I had never had before. Years ago, someone on here said they would make overtime "first to score 6 points," and that sticks with me to this day as the most eloquent solution to the puzzle that baffles everyone.

 

But moving on with the thread: (oh, and PS: please try to stay away from force ralph to sell, liquidate the bills roster, ban gailey from the league, and every other lame attempt at humor that is surely forthcoming. We get it, the Bills are awful, move on, lets talk football.)

 

 

Rule 1) From this point forward, instant replay is hereby banned from any NFL event.

GMS draft the wrong players and hire the wrong coaches. Coaches call the wrong plays and make the wrong substitutions. Players run the play wrong or turn the ball over. Error is a part of sport--it is the opposite of success. Or, worded differently, success is just the elimination of error. Why then are referees held to a level that literally no other human being on the planet is held to? It is impossible for them to ever meet this criteria, so instead of trying to get their success rate as close to 100% as possible, let's let them make errors in the heat of the moment.

 

"Momentum" is a notoriously difficult concept to quantify (read: it's bullshlt) but there are plays in a game, (last sunday, the colts punt returner getting sent to the locker room and losing the ball) where what you SEE with your eyes: "WOW!!! that guy just got knocked into next week! OF COURSE HE FUMBLED! GO BILLS!" is then reviewed, negated, and the feeling, the excitement of the moment, is just... gone.

 

 

 

 

Rule 2) Any player who lingers by a group of officials as they are discussing the call on the field is assessed a 15 yard delay of game penalty. Multiple infractions will result in suspensions without pay.

 

I can't stand seeing a ref throw a flag, huddle up with several other officials, wes welker walks into the frame, screams something, and suddenly what may have been a flag being picked up results in a pass interference. This one shouldnt even take me being comish to enact. If the league continues to bill itself as the "made for tv" sport that it claims to be, it should realize that seeing an offensive lineman for the ravens signal what the penalty is before the ref looks ridiculous. Stay away from the refs while theyre debating the merits of a call.

 

 

 

Rule 3) The scheduling will be changed to "punish" good teams.

 

We will use our own AFC east as an example.

What it is now:

(6) games against your division

(4) games against one division within your conference

(4) NFC games

(2) games within your conference, based on last years standing.

 

What I am changing the schedule to:

(6) games against your division (remains the same)

(6) games against your conference, based on last years standing - (3rd and 4th place teams play all 3rd and 4th place teams, 1st and 2nd place teams play all 1st and 2nd place teams)

(4) games against NFC teams who finished in the corresponding slot in their division the previous year (AFC east champ plays NFC east, NFC south, NFC north and NFC west champs)

 

BASED ON CURRENT STANDINGS, next years patriots schedule would be:

bills (2x)

jets (2x)

dolphins (2x)

giants

bears

falcons

49ers

ravens

steelers

texans

colts

broncos

chargers

 

While the Bills would have a lineup of:

patriots (2x)

jets (2x)

dolphins (2x)

eagles

lions

panthers

cardinals

bengals

browns

titans

jaguars

raiders

chiefs

 

Winning your division would still come down to beating the teams in your division - but the wild card would become a TRUE wild card.

 

 

YOUR TURN!

[pkwwjd]

1. No victory formation ... If you want to run down the clock at the end of a game, you must get positive yards. A tackle in the backfield amounts to an extra timeout for a defense that is trailing.

 

2. PATs from the 20 (or 25) ... It's not a free throw kind of situation. That point shouldn't be almost guaranteed.

 

3. Unnecessary roughness penalties for hits when a player is already down ... I know this adds a judgment call into the hands of the refs, but what happened to the day when a defender would simply tag down a WR who had caught the ball as he fell and was now laying on the turf? That is the pure definition of 'unnecessary roughness' ... No roughness is necessary to tackle the receiver, just tough him.

[ThurmasThoman]

1. No victory formation ... If you want to run down the clock at the end of a game, you must get positive yards. A tackle in the backfield amounts to an extra timeout for a defense that is trailing.

 

2. PATs from the 20 (or 25) ... It's not a free throw kind of situation. That point shouldn't be almost guaranteed.

 

3. Unnecessary roughness penalties for hits when a player is already down ... I know this adds a judgment call into the hands of the refs, but what happened to the day when a defender would simply tag down a WR who had caught the ball as he fell and was now laying on the turf? That is the pure definition of 'unnecessary roughness' ... No roughness is necessary to tackle the receiver, just tough him.

 

amazing idea!

 

within the last 2 minutes of a half, any play that does not result in positive yards results in a stoppage of the clock, just like an incomplete pass.

 

would add so much intrigue.

 

god, pure genius my friend, better than any of my ideas (except for the scheduling one.)

[papazoid]

#1- eliminate the Pro Bowl game and replace with an Awards show the week prior to Super Bowl where all can attend.

 

#2- eliminate "tie" games in regular season.

 

#3- increase active game day roster to allow for a third QB

[vincec]

#1) Offensive players can move as much as they want before the snap as long as they're not moving towards the line of scrimmage. No more false start penalties because some offensive tackle's ear twitched. If they aren't moving forward then no advantage is gained.

 

#2) The zone in which contact with an offensive receiver is allowed is increased to 10 yards. Time to give the DBs a chance again to cover people.

 

#3) Touchbacks from kickoffs start at the 35 yard line. I know that the league is trying to eliminate contact and all but touchbacks are boring. Kick it in play or give up decent field position.

Edited November 29, 2012 by vincec

[marauderswr80]

Move the kickoffs back 5 yards i want to see returns all the time! With lindell it dont make a difference...

[Dr. Trooth]

1) Any team not making the playoffs in 10 years receives no revenue sharing until they do.

 

2) Any team in the bottom third of the league on offense or defense for 4 consecutive years must forfeit $5M, and $6M for each consecutive year after that.

 

3) Any team that has the option to sell the naming rights to their home stadium but does not own the stadium, and does not sell the naming rights, the naming rights revert to the stadium owner.

[snafu]

If a player is called for offensive pass interference then the offense loses as many yards as the infraction occurred downfield, just like defensive PI calls.

[Stealth]

1. Get rid of the hit on defenseless receiver rule- The NFL is becoming to much like arena football. A lot of these calls are so borderline anyway.

 

2. Move the kickoff back to the 30

 

3. Allow tackles on qbs below the knees. Defensive linemen lbs and bltizing players are very limited as to where they can tackle a quarterback. I enjoy defense. Linemen on occasion are going to be low coming in on a qb. Let it slide.

[JPS]

1. No victory formation ... If you want to run down the clock at the end of a game, you must get positive yards. A tackle in the backfield amounts to an extra timeout for a defense that is trailing.

 

2. PATs from the 20 (or 25) ... It's not a free throw kind of situation. That point shouldn't be almost guaranteed.

 

3. Unnecessary roughness penalties for hits when a player is already down ... I know this adds a judgment call into the hands of the refs, but what happened to the day when a defender would simply tag down a WR who had caught the ball as he fell and was now laying on the turf? That is the pure definition of 'unnecessary roughness' ... No roughness is necessary to tackle the receiver, just tough him.

 

Your #1 is inspired. I love it.

[BigdaddyinOrlando]

1. Widen the field by 5 yards eachside. Players are to big and fast and miss the old days of a toss sweep. Plus might help in some injury prevention.

2. Increase game day roster by three players so there might less chance of having your stars have to play special teams and possibly risk injury, ala Gronkowski.

3. Use that thing that holds the ball for practicing field goals into a net mandatory for kickoffs to stop the wind blowing off twice before they kick crap!

[Roger Goodell]

1. No victory formation ... If you want to run down the clock at the end of a game, you must get positive yards. A tackle in the backfield amounts to an extra timeout for a defense that is trailing.

 

2. PATs from the 20 (or 25) ... It's not a free throw kind of situation. That point shouldn't be almost guaranteed.

1) Any team not making the playoffs in 10 years receives no revenue sharing until they do.

 

2) Any team in the bottom third of the league on offense or defense for 4 consecutive years must forfeit $5M, and $6M for each consecutive year after that.

 

3) Any team that has the option to sell the naming rights to their home stadium but does not own the stadium, and does not sell the naming rights, the naming rights revert to the stadium owner.

If a player is called for offensive pass interference then the offense loses as many yards as the infraction occurred downfield, just like defensive PI calls.

3. Allow tackles on qbs below the knees. Defensive linemen lbs and bltizing players are very limited as to where they can tackle a quarterback. I enjoy defense. Linemen on occasion are going to be low coming in on a qb. Let it slide.

Now you know why we don't have a real 'Commissioner for a Day' contest. These are just horrible ideas.

[jr1]

The Charleston is the only acceptable end zone dance

[pkwwjd]

 

 

 

 

Now you know why we don't have a real 'Commissioner for a Day' contest. These are just horrible ideas.

That's also why they don't let the commissioner make changes to the rules and instead use a competition committee ... One man's idea of a terrible idea is often exactly what is needed for progress and improvement ...

[Captain Hindsight]

#1- eliminate the Pro Bowl game and replace with an Awards show the week prior to Super Bowl where all can attend.

 

#2- eliminate "tie" games in regular season.

 

#3- increase active game day roster to allow for a third QB

Thats already a rule...

[Rico]

If the commissioner has the power to kick Ralph out of the HOF, that would be first move.

 

After that, my next two moves would involve getting rid of parity as we now know it, I'd have to think a bit on how I would do it. The league is too watered-down anymore, it's been a long time since I looked at a Super Bowl winner & said "Now that is a great team."

[ThurmasThoman]

If the commissioner has the power to kick Ralph out of the HOF, that would be first move.

 

After that, my next two moves would involve getting rid of parity as we now know it, I'd have to think a bit on how I would do it. The league is too watered-down anymore, it's been a long time since I looked at a Super Bowl winner & said "Now that is a great team."

 

packers 2 years ago?

 

they won the super bowl with the best qb in the league, then went 15-1 the following year.

 

dynasties are rare, a football game between 2 great teams is a 50/50 bet--thats what the super bowl is.

 

packers could win one this year, that would give them 2 titles in 3 years, with a 15-1 record in the middle of that.

 

would that not be a GREAT team?

 

christ, if the bills one 2 superbowls with a 15-1 season sandwhiched between, i would legally change my name to Buffalo F. Bills and tattoo the standing buffalo on my face.

[Phil Hansen Forever]

#1 Get rid of the PAT. It's worthless and not very much of a challenge.

 

#2 Change the way pass yardage and receiver yardage is computed. The QB throws a pass and where it is caught is the total distance of the pass, the rest falls into the receivers yardage following the successful completion. No way should a QB be given credit for a 95 yard touchdown when he only threw a five yard checkdown. The receiver did the rest and should receive his fair compensation for his efforts.

 

#3 Investigate the Patriots and comments made by other NFL coaches about hidden microphones in the opposing teams locker rooms. Cheating is still cheating even if you aren't caught doing so.

[Rico]

packers 2 years ago?

 

they won the super bowl with the best qb in the league, then went 15-1 the following year.

 

dynasties are rare, a football game between 2 great teams is a 50/50 bet--thats what the super bowl is.

 

packers could win one this year, that would give them 2 titles in 3 years, with a 15-1 record in the middle of that.

 

would that not be a GREAT team?

 

christ, if the bills one 2 superbowls with a 15-1 season sandwhiched between, i would legally change my name to Buffalo F. Bills and tattoo the standing buffalo on my face.

They were pretty damn good at the end of the season & their playoff run... but they just barely made it in. Not a great team in my eyes.

[Just Jack]

Only idea I can think of at the moment...

 

- The first three and last three games of the season are against you division teams. This should make the final standings much more interesting and have playoff implications. And avoid situations like this year where the Steelers play the Ravens twice in three weeks.