Thought Experiment

[Tolstoy]

With nothing better to do, I was thinking: if I was King, what would I do to make the NFL better?

 

Well, as I have stated before, the first thing I would do is reduce the amount of commercials. That doesn't really change the game (or maybe it does, since it reduces the time-outs), but it would certainly make watching it easier.

 

What change would you make?

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

Figure out a salary cap that works, and make it a fixed hard cap, the same every year. No more of this endless escalation of salaries, to the point that its almost like baseball, where smaller market teams may have trouble competing. Football should be about parity first and foremost.

 

The players might hate it, but so what? I'm King!

[Tcali]

With nothing better to do, I was thinking: if I was King, what would I do to make the NFL better?

 

Well, as I have stated before, the first thing I would do is reduce the amount of commercials. That doesn't really change the game (or maybe it does, since it reduces the time-outs), but it would certainly make watching it easier.

 

What change would you make?

EASE up on the pass interference penalties. No 1st and goal on the one unless the receiver is shot in the head and mugged. Max penalty 10 yds and auto 1st. Incidental contact--NO penalty.

[bschmoove]

1. Eliminate domes.

2. Get rid of old refs.

3. Put a laser beam outlining the field, line of scrimage, first-down marker and endone at grass level that can be triggered if stepped on or if the ball crosses its plain.

[ajzepp]

1. Eliminate domes.

[bartshan-83]

1. Institute experience-based salary tiers like the NBA so that we would never again pay the Mike Williams' of the world $50 million to eat donuts before they ever stepped on an NFL field. There is no way the top 10 picks should be making what they make. The trade-off for the players would be 3 year max contracts so they would become restricted FAs after their 3rd and free to earn their money after their 4th. I really believe this one change would make the sport so much better and would help ensure its longevity.

 

2. Decrease the amount the salary cap goes up each year. Adjust for inflation like the rest of us schmoes and maybe a larger increase every now and then so that the owners aren't just sucking down extra cash like krispy kremes.

 

3. Reduce the preseason to 2 games and possibly add those 2 games to the regular season.

 

4. Seed the playoffs 1-6 in terms of record or at least do like the NBA does and keep the seeding in tact for matchups, but give homefield advantage to the better overall record. So if a 9-7 division winner plays a 12-4 wild card, the game is hosted by the 12-4 team. Winning a division in which you play 6 games each year is a meaningless award and should not be rewarded with a playoff advantage.

 

5. Institute a 5-yard roughing the passer and late hit penalty. It makes my stomach turn every time a team is penalized 15 yards because a 300 lb. lineman couldn't stop his full momentum at the exact moment the RB stepped on the white out-of-bounds line. Not only is it physically impossible, it goes against the spirit of the game. How are the defensive players supposed to know the guy is going to cut out of bounds? What if he's like Peterson and decides to duck his shoulder in and pick up 3 more yards. Should a LB have to be thinking about this each time he chases a guy to sideline? Fck NO. If the tackle happens to be 4 inches out of bounds, I'm sure we'll all live. Same goes with roughing the QB. I'd still hate it if we got a 5 yarder every time Kelsay sneezed near Brady. But I'd hate it a lot less than if it was 15 yards.

 

6. Let guys celebrate TDs however they want. But if they are not back in their bench area by the time the XP units are on the field, ejection.

 

7. Offensive face mask. As much as I loved it when he was here, there is no reason why Willis McGahee (or anyone) should be able to grab a defenders facemask and yoke his head to the side. If you're gonna call it on the defense, call it both ways.

 

8. Eject Rodney Harrison and take away his paycheck every time he dives into an already tackled player 4 seconds after the whistle.

 

9. Let Brandon Jacobs gouge Vince Wilfork in the eye AFTER JP Losman gets a free swing at his knee with a 3-iron. Wash, rinse, repeat every time this POS pulls another stunt.

[l< j]

What change would you make?

 

1. Punish cheaters*. Fully.

 

2. Create a 'tax' on unpooled team revenues that will go into a really big fund so that no NFL team will ever require public financing for stadiums again.

 

3. Throw up some sort of road block to teams moving, making it difficult to abandon fans. The Art Modells of this world should not be rewarded for their failings as businessmen with a well-financed do-over.

 

4. Do right by the oldtime veterans and vest them in the current players' pension plan.

 

5. Not destroy any incriminating evidence relating to cheating.

 

6. Call Bill Belichick out on national TV for disgracing the game.

 

7. Encourage a whispering campaign that suggests that Tom Brady's numbers as a QB were inflated b/c he and the coaching staff knew the coverage.

 

kj

[BillsWest]

Wow, some good responses. Let me add to a few:

 

1) Regarding commercials: stop the double commercials on a score/kickoff. Get the commercials in after the score, and then go to the offensive play after the kickoff, not another commercial!!!

 

2) Regarding salary: Set a maximum salary per position. Bonuses are then won when the team wins.

 

3) Allow the networks to show more than one game at a time, even if the local team is playing. You know how bad it is to have to watch the Raiders or 49ers on a Sunday afternoon without another game to switch too?

 

4) No moving of franchises if the team is selling out their stadium!

 

5) A fumble is a fumble. If the ball carrier doesn't have the ball when the play is ruled dead, it's a fumble.

 

6) Celebrating a standard tackle, especially after a large gain, should be penalized.

 

7) I like the laser used for out of bounds and for first downs. Too much chance for error with the sticks.

 

8) The net for field goals is ONLY lifted between the goal posts. Give the endzone fans that much more chance to get a ball, and laser up from the top of the posts for calling the field goals correctly.

[Adam]

Wow, some good responses. Let me add to a few:

 

 

5) A fumble is a fumble. If the ball carrier doesn't have the ball when the play is ruled dead, it's a fumble.

 

6) Celebrating a standard tackle, especially after a large gain, should be penalized.

[boomerjamhead]

Make each round of the playoffs a best-of-seven series...

 

[Marshmallow]

Well, as I have stated before, the first thing I would do is reduce the amount of commercials. That doesn't really change the game (or maybe it does, since it reduces the time-outs), but it would certainly make watching it easier.

 

If you reduce the amount commercials, which quarter during the game would you choose not to have broadcast? Or maybe they could just broadcast every other play.

 

Commercials pay for the games to be on tv. Pay for salaries. Reduce the prices of tickets for fans attending the game. etc.

 

Sorry I had to point out the obvious like that.

[2020 Our Year For Sure]

If you reduce the amount commercials, which quarter during the game would you choose not to have broadcast? Or maybe they could just broadcast every other play.

 

Commercials pay for the games to be on tv. Pay for salaries. Reduce the prices of tickets for fans attending the game. etc.

 

Sorry I had to point out the obvious like that.

He's King. He could take the money from our taxes to pay for the games if he wants.

[Mark Vader]

1. Institute experience-based salary tiers like the NBA so that we would never again pay the Mike Williams' of the world $50 million to eat donuts before they ever stepped on an NFL field. There is no way the top 10 picks should be making what they make. The trade-off for the players would be 3 year max contracts so they would become restricted FAs after their 3rd and free to earn their money after their 4th. I really believe this one change would make the sport so much better and would help ensure its longevity.

 

2. Decrease the amount the salary cap goes up each year. Adjust for inflation like the rest of us schmoes and maybe a larger increase every now and then so that the owners aren't just sucking down extra cash like krispy kremes.

 

3. Reduce the preseason to 2 games and possibly add those 2 games to the regular season.

 

4. Seed the playoffs 1-6 in terms of record or at least do like the NBA does and keep the seeding in tact for matchups, but give homefield advantage to the better overall record. So if a 9-7 division winner plays a 12-4 wild card, the game is hosted by the 12-4 team. Winning a division in which you play 6 games each year is a meaningless award and should not be rewarded with a playoff advantage.

 

5. Institute a 5-yard roughing the passer and late hit penalty. It makes my stomach turn every time a team is penalized 15 yards because a 300 lb. lineman couldn't stop his full momentum at the exact moment the RB stepped on the white out-of-bounds line. Not only is it physically impossible, it goes against the spirit of the game. How are the defensive players supposed to know the guy is going to cut out of bounds? What if he's like Peterson and decides to duck his shoulder in and pick up 3 more yards. Should a LB have to be thinking about this each time he chases a guy to sideline? Fck NO. If the tackle happens to be 4 inches out of bounds, I'm sure we'll all live. Same goes with roughing the QB. I'd still hate it if we got a 5 yarder every time Kelsay sneezed near Brady. But I'd hate it a lot less than if it was 15 yards.

 

6. Let guys celebrate TDs however they want. But if they are not back in their bench area by the time the XP units are on the field, ejection.

 

7. Offensive face mask. As much as I loved it when he was here, there is no reason why Willis McGahee (or anyone) should be able to grab a defenders facemask and yolk his head to the side. If you're gonna call it on the defense, call it both ways.

 

8. Eject Rodney Harrison and take away his paycheck every time he dives into an already tackled player 4 seconds after the whistle.

 

9. Let Brandon Jacobs gouge Vince Wilfork in the eye AFTER JP Losman gets a free swing at his knee with a 3-iron. Wash, rinse, repeat every time this POS pulls another stunt.

1. Great idea. I'm all for a rookie cap.

2. Good idea, but it'll never happen.

3. Disagree with you here. 4 preseason games is good, 2 is not enough. There is no need to add more games to the regular season, that would push the Super Bowl to Valentine's Day.

4. Disagree again. If a team wins their division, they should be rewarded, even if the division sucks. If a team can not win their division, then thats just too bad. Leave the playoff system alone, it's already good.

5. I'm fine with this. 15 yards is too harsh a penalty for someone who is giving their best effort and cannot control another player's intent of going out-of-bounds.

6. Agreed. Celebrating a touchdown should be a part of the fun.

7. Agree again. Fair is fair. Facemask penalties should be called on the offense too.

8. AMEN!!!

9.

[Zulu Cthulhu]

Although I hate the refs dictating the game, all things being equal I would increase the frequency of offensive pass interference on wide receivers in the game, given the ridiculous amount of PI penalties on corners and safeties called in today's game. The average WR is 2-3 inches taller than the average corner today, that averages out to about 15-25 lbs heaver and alot more muscle to shove off - guys like Moss and TO have been doing it for years.

Ideally of course I would like to see the pass interference penalties reduced altogether - 15 yards 1st down at the most for D-interference, but lets face it - this is a QB/sack master league now and its gonna stay that way for a while so I would just like the playing field evened out a little bit!

 

MCKELVIN for President

[plenzmd1]

i miss trades, so I would like to see where an aquiring team could pay off the unamortized portion of a bonus. Exmple, Chad Johnson will cost the Bengals$8M on the cap if they traded him now. I would like to see where another team could say"okay, we will pay $5M of that if you trade him to us"

 

I think that trades would heat up and more trades could get done.

[ganesh]

With nothing better to do, I was thinking: if I was King, what would I do to make the NFL better?

 

Get STARBUCKS coffee shops in the Stadium and have Girls Softball games before the actual NFL game.

 

Couldn't resist.

[JStranger76]

Biggest one I'm all for would be some kind of rookie salary cap. Make these guys earn the mega contract. The top 10 contracts are complete horses**t. These guys haven't proven anything and can retire immediately after their signing bonus if they wanted to .

[JStranger76]

We already had a guy who basically did.

[SDS]

If you reduce the amount commercials, which quarter during the game would you choose not to have broadcast? Or maybe they could just broadcast every other play.

 

Commercials pay for the games to be on tv. Pay for salaries. Reduce the prices of tickets for fans attending the game. etc.

 

Sorry I had to point out the obvious like that.

 

Well, obviously, the money would be different. The networks would initially bid less because of reduced time, so the NFL would get less, and then the players would get less.

 

OTOH, maybe more people could bare to watch a game w/o TiVo then...? Maybe viewership would increase and the remaining commercials would be more valuable and thus demand more money?

[Just Jack]

My standard answer....

 

Have division games take place during the first three weeks and last three weeks of the season. All the games in between would be your non-division foes. Making those last three weeks more interesting if there's a tight race for who would win the division and a playoff spot.