National Football? League

I haven't blogged for a while but while watching the Vikings, Eagles game Tuesday night, I've had enough. A Sidney Rice touchdown just got overturned. It literally was a touchdown. It was overturned because some 8D TV saw the ball move an inch after Rice leaped three feet in the air, came down with two feet on the ground, and was landed on by a 6'2" 240 machine. Good thing the TV saw it, because I didn't, my buddy didn't, the refs didn't originally, even Al and Chris didn't see it. But all of this got me to thinking. What the hell has the NFL become. It's no longer a game. Let's review some instances in the past year. There are most likely a lot more, but I'm just going off the top of my head.

Calvin Johnson's Touchdown taken away for the same reason as Rices. Every commentator, fan, and player in the league agreed that it should have been a touchdown. That would have given the Lions a win, and with the way they've played this year who knows where they'd be. But when again with these wide receivers how long do they need to hold onto the ball. The run at ungodly speeds leaping high enough to win Olympic medals at times, and land with the ball. But if and only then the ball wiggles. They don't lose control but it wiggles, enough that the refs overturn or rule it incomplete. What the hell is possession? If the ball doesn't hit the ground but wiggles a bit during impact what's the problem. Should these receivers take the ball home with them, and mail a picture to the ref showing them sleeping with the ball.

The league has been all over illegal hits, like leading with the head. I agree with this rule, I do. But what is a defensive player supposed to do at times. A receiver ducks or changes directions unexpectedly the defensive player is dead in the water. What about the offense not throwing those passes over the middle. They have no fear. They call Austin Collie fearless. I call him an idiot. Go ahead and be fearless, a few more concussions and you won't remember it anyway. When a dog with a shock collar on repeatedly gets shocked at the property line, they soon learn to stop going there. Why can't these human beings learn the same thing. Yes the NFL has to clean up the dirty hits, but they also have to keep the integrity of the game. It's a violent game. You know what else if violent....roofing. So if they don't want to make the millions playing football, they can grab some shingles.

What's the deal with the Eagles game being moved? 4 inches of snow? We had 15 inches of snow, and I know of squirt hockey practices that still happened. These are 8 year old kids that wet the bed, practicing for a sport that they won't play for more than another 5-6 years. The parents weighed the options, and ventured out in their cars, and went to practice. But the NFL felt this was too dangerous for everyone involved? They didn't feel the same way the previous week when the Vikings played. What if the Patriots are playing in the AFC championship game at home, and the same thing happens. Are we going to just move that game too? They've set a precedent now. The NHL played games at Madison Square Garden and Newark where they got in some areas four times as much snow as Philly did. So where does the league go from here? They have to be consistent.

What's the deal with the replay's. You can't have a big play without worrying about a flag somewhere on the field. Every touchdown turns into a game of Photo Hunt on the replay TV. While I want to the calls to be correct, I also want the games to have some flow, and not turn into four hour death marches. Why do we at home know the result two and a half minutes before the referee? What are they looking at? Coaching now has as much to do with when to challenge as X's and O's. Would we view Lombardi, Madden, Shula, and Bud Grant in the same light if they were terrible at challenging. Wheres the logic in that. The coaches have to gamble on when to check to see if the referee is doing there job. Not only do they have to be the best coach on the field, they have to know when to call out a ref. Call out an ump in baseball you'll get tossed. Call out a ref and prove him wrong in the NFL and get your timeout back. Do it twice and get another challenge. What's with these referees. Why are they so bad. I understand they're dealing with giant humans with amazing athletic ability. If that is the case, than why do they have 50-60 year old men trying to do the job. Asher Allen a can't keep up with an NFL receiver, so how can 59 year old Pete Morelli?

This is just the tip of the iceberg. I didn't even touch on the likely lockout on the horizon. I watch the NFL every week, I have the NFL ticket, own jersey's, play in fantasy leagues, and bet on the league. So I'm as big a fan as most people. But I don't like the way the game is going. I call it a game lightly, because it seems like that is they area that is in jeopardy. The game, the game that a lot of us still play or wish we can. It's a multi billion dollar business, and needs to be ran and managed properly and efficiently. While the fans know that they don't want to be reminded of that on each and every play. Fans want to know that some of the guys hit on the attractive sideline reporters, they want to know when a scantily clad reporter from Mexico walks into a locker room, she gets heckled. They want to believe that these guys love the game, and love the city they play in. So don't ruin that for us. We all wish we had half the athletic ability and a fraction of their salary's. That is why Madden is such a popular video game. Don't turn the NFL into real life version of Madden controlled by the owners, commissioner's, or "NFL offices", whatever that means.