New years often signify fresh starts. Like one of the ladies of the night in “Forest Gump” says to the somewhat dim main character at a bar: “Don’t you just love New Year’s? You get to start all over. Everybody
New years often signify fresh starts.
Like one of the ladies of the night in “Forest Gump” says to the somewhat dim main character at a bar: “Don’t you just love New Year’s? You get to start all over. Everybody gets a second chance.”
Within hours of that comment, the same woman left a hotel room screaming “freak” and laughing at a leg-less war hero, so it seems not everyone takes advantage of these fresh starts.
But the major professional sports leagues should take this opportunity to look themselves in the mirror and figure out what they could be doing better and how their games can improve.
While they throw out the old 2010 calendar, they should toss some of their rules along with them.
Since the NFL already got the ball rolling with its new policies for dangerous hits mid-season, I’m declaring 2011 the year of the rule change, with a quartet of suggestions where to begin.
1. A losing record does not a playoff team make
Later today, the Seattle Seahawks (6-9) and St. Louis Rams (7-8) will be playing each other in a game that will determine the NFC West division champion.
If Seattle wins, it will make the playoffs at 7-9, having lost its nine games by an average of 21 points! How is that indicative of a playoff team?
The rule should be that a division champion must go at least .500 to go to the playoffs. If they don’t, a third “wildcard” team will go.
Not only that, but all four teams in the unrepresented division would have to sit on a stage at halftime of the conference championship game as league executives and other players stood up one at a time and told them how disappointed in them they are, sort of a festivus-style airing of grievances.
Staying with the NFL…
2. Coaches who get them right, get an unlimited supply of replay challenges
(Andy Reid, feel free to skip ahead to No. 3. This doesn’t concern you.)
Currently, a coach gets two challenges a game. If they are correct on both, they are granted one more.
Well, why only one?
If the refs keep making bad calls that a coach identifies, why are they halted at three?
Let them keep challenging until they get one wrong. Keep the refs accountable.
3. NBA referees should be fined when they issue a technical foul
This may look like a head-scratcher, but think it through.
This season, the NBA has gone out of its way to issue technicals for players who are overly critical of a ref’s call. Not only is the technical sometimes costly during the game, but it often leads to a fine of some sort.
The effects have been pretty impressive, with far fewer exclamatory reactions from players. Yet it still sometimes seems that refs like to give out T’s simply to send a message.
If the ref is also hit with a fine when they T up a player, it could open the doors of communication for some actual dialogue, since both parties would have a stake in getting a call right and remaining civil.
4. MLB payrolls: For every $5 million over/under $100 million, the team has to play that many games with only eight fielders
With no MLB salary cap, let’s at least give some incentives for competitive balance.
Come on, this rule would be fantastic. If a team wants to spend $200 million on its payroll, that’s fine, but it has to play 20 games ($100 million over the threshold, divided by $5 million) with just eight guys on defense.
And for those teams that want to pinch pennies and spend $30 million, they better find some outfielders with Forrest Gump-like speed to cover those monstrous gaps for 14 games.
Happy New Year and here’s to a fresh start.
