Football insanity

[dvdcrr]

What the heck has happened to American football ?  As a pure game it has been totally wrecked by competition committees, bad rules, too much review, commercials.

I am sorry but when the term "catch" is superceded by the term " completion" then we have lost our way.  A catch is a catch. Will we just live in ridiculousness with this issue or will they simply get back to letting the officials decide when they see a catch or not?  Frankly if you just hold the officials accountable, and let them make the call the plays will be called correctly more often than they are now with replay, and the game would go quicker with a restored flow.  Right now it sucks.  You sit through four minutes of watching some expert try to explain what a "football related move" is and then they get the call wrong.  TERRIBLE.

And today, we had the poor Browns with 1:40 trying to march down the field.  They make 2 close catch plays so we have to sit through two consecutive reviews.  This killed the excitement in what should have been the most exciting part of the game, not to mention that it gave the Baltimore D several minutes of rest.  No good deed goes unpunished. I mean is it about the game or is it about the review?  Don't people tune in to watch game play, not replay?  What if they stopped boxing after every tie up for a review to make sure no punches hit the back of the head?  Wouldnt that wreck the fight?  That is how I feel about football now.  Too much needless interruption.  60 minute clock, 4 hour event.

It seems to me that they have thrown the baby out with the bath water.  They tried to make the game perfect with replay and rule changes.  But having watched football for 37 years, I can say honestly the game has never been worse.  

It was so refreshing to watch a couple preseason games last year without the replays and not so many commercials.  THAT was nice!  I find myself drifting more toward baseball ( has not been wrecked by rules committees, and untimely replays or commercials) movie channels that have no commercials ( not the unGodly 8-10 minute commercial breaks on some of the other cable channels)  and towards smaller more pure sports that haven't been wrecked,  soccer, track, swimming, rugby etc.

College football used to be an integral part of me.  But it feels like that has been ripped away.  

 

[Landlord]

It's nice to wax poetic about the good ole days, but reality is what it is. Part of that for football is that we'll keep going further down this path and we won't ever reverse course. So, it's essentially just up to you whether to let it get you grumpy or embrace it for what it is (or not).

 

[The Dude]

I've noticed over the last few years I watch very little football if my team isn't involved.  It wasn't a conscious decision.  I guess I just don't see much entertainment value anymore if I don't have a rooting interest.

 

[MLB 51]

I've noticed over the last few years I watch very little football if my team isn't involved.  It wasn't a conscious decision.  I guess I just don't see much entertainment value anymore if I don't have a rooting interest.

This is pretty much the way I am, too. I have NFL Redzone and that pretty well covers what I want to see of other teams.  

 

[JJ Husker]

I also am increasingly watching less and less football that does not involve the Cornhuskers. The changed rules and over commercialization seem to be the primary culprits. I don’t mind instant replay to try to get the calls right but 90% of the time it takes way too long and too often they seem to still get it wrong. It’s one thing to originally make the wrong call and then stick with it because there isn’t enough video evidence but it’s really annoying when they get it right and overturn it to the wrong decision. 

And they really need need to do something with this targeting nonsense. I’m all for increased player safety but it is a contact sport and heads are going to inadvertently collide. IMO there needs to be obvious intent weighed into the decision to eject a player. If they continue down the path of zero tolerance, it is going to kill the game. The writing is on the wall.

 

[dvdcrr]

It's nice to wax poetic about the good ole days, but reality is what it is. Part of that for football is that we'll keep going further down this path and we won't ever reverse course. So, it's essentially just up to you whether to let it get you grumpy or embrace it for what it is (or not).

100% correct. Where do you think it is headed?

 

[suh_fan93]

I am watching just as much football as I ever have.  I have no problem with reviews either.  I'd rather them get the call right or at least get some of the missed calls corrected. 

 

[Landlord]

100% correct. Where do you think it is headed?

It will become more convoluted, more commercial and more 'patty cake'. It will keep adding new elements to combat player safety and also to try and appeal to a wider and newer audience as more and more people are less interested.

 

[dvdcrr]

I am watching just as much football as I ever have.  I have no problem with reviews either.  I'd rather them get the call right or at least get some of the missed calls corrected. 

Interesting.. so what is your strategy for dealing with excessive breaks in the action... do you dvr or channel skip, or just sit through 26 capitol one ads?

 

[dvdcrr]

I also am increasingly watching less and less football that does not involve the Cornhuskers. The changed rules and over commercialization seem to be the primary culprits. I don’t mind instant replay to try to get the calls right but 90% of the time it takes way too long and too often they seem to still get it wrong. It’s one thing to originally make the wrong call and then stick with it because there isn’t enough video evidence but it’s really annoying when they get it right and overturn it to the wrong decision. 

And they really need need to do something with this targeting nonsense. I’m all for increased player safety but it is a contact sport and heads are going to inadvertently collide. IMO there needs to be obvious intent weighed into the decision to eject a player. If they continue down the path of zero tolerance, it is going to kill the game. The writing is on the wall.

Another thing about the old days and the blown calls.  You got some, you lost some in the end it all evens out.  And after all it sort of reminded us that LIFE has bad breaks, and can be unfair, but how you DEAL with it is what matters.  But the important thing was the game and the excitement which are now wrongly sacrificed.  

Would Nebraska have won in 94 and 95 if "replay"had called back the FSU fumble touchdown in 93?  Would the team have been as hungry in 94?  Thankfully we will never know!

 

[dvdcrr]

All the automatic or booth initiated reviews: it is just too much.  

I think you just give each coach one challenge flag per half, and if you lose it counts as a time out.  That way the only calls that stop the game are those which are SO egregious that the other team feels really wronged.

Targeting:  I personally flatly reject the entire premise of "targeting".  This insinuates that a player has been targetted for special violence.  In the first place the offensive player is always the target.  You target him to be tackled, knocked down, knocked out of bounds, or separated from the ball.  Prior to "targeting" there was a penalty called "unnecessary roughness" which was to be called when an unnecessary level of violence was used.  I feel that whatever rules committee created "targeting" should have instead made "unnecessary roughness" a point of emphasis, perhaps assessing a personal foul to a player, maybe two of which got you kicked out.  

Hitting with the crown of the head was also already illegal.  That penalty was called spearing.  That too could have been a point of emphasis without instead creating a new and misguided infraction called "targeting"

 

[suh_fan93]

Interesting.. so what is your strategy for dealing with excessive breaks in the action... do you dvr or channel skip, or just sit through 26 capitol one ads?

I don't know.  I deal with it?  It's not a deal breaker for me.  The reviews.  Again for me if it means getting the call right I can deal with the delay.

 

[beorach]

I have to agree.  Football already had pass interference to confuse me and now I can't tell what a catch is (according to the officials).  At least soccer just has that one thing that annoys everyone (diving Liverpool FC).

 

[GamingGlen]

Interesting.. so what is your strategy for dealing with excessive breaks in the action... do you dvr or channel skip, or just sit through 26 capitol one ads?

More cheerleader action.   :hellloooo :hellloooo :hellloooo   chuckleshuffle chuckleshuffle chuckleshuffle   Basketball does it as the cheerleaders go onto the court.  Or tune up the band to play a song during that time, and maybe the cheerleaders do a matching routine in front.  We no longer get to see the marching bands during halftime (okay, so that might not be missed so much).