How Would You Improve The NFL?

[BillsImpossible]

The NFL has an excellent product. I'm hooked for life, like a fish. It looks great on television, it sells like crazy and is super popular but there's still room for a lot of improvement.

I'd change 5 things.

First thing I would do is get rid of Thursday Night Football games.

Wouldn't a, "Saturday Night Main Event," game before SNL be better overall for the league, fans and advertisers? Wouldn't Saturday Night NFL games give us more reasons to party and have friends over? What's a better day to party and watch football, Thursday or Saturday? ULD. Um, like duh.

Thursday Night games are a diminished product. Sometimes I forget there's a game on. Players need more than 3 and a half days to recoup after Sunday. People want to see the best, and they're not getting it on a Thursday evening.

College football doesn't want the NFL to tread on their television territory, but so what? Most college games are over by 8:00 pm, and most college games aren't as interesting as a single NFL game and the preseason proves it. (NFL preseason HoF game got higher ratings than Stanley Cup Final and World Series...) I want to see the Bills vs. the Broncos in the steel cage match on Saturday Night Football, aka, "SNF"

SNF followed by SNL.

"Oooh yeh, Elizabeth!" Haven't watched television on a Saturday since GLOW, and those hot roller derby chicks.

2nd thing I would do is make the first 2 preseason games FUN, controlled scrimmages with some imagination to make them TV audience worthy. No pads, just helmets. Which quarterback can throw the longest ball? What offensive line can push a 3,000 lb (sponsored by) Ford truck 10 yards quicker than the other? Field goal kickoff competition. What team has the more accurate kicker? Punting competition - what punter can pin it inside the 5 the most? Wide receivers? 1 on 1 races. Who's faster? What team has the faster wide receivers as a group? Which QB can hit the bucket in the corner of the endzone most out of 30 throws each? The first 2 preseason games need to go.

Third thing I would do is implement full-time referees, and mandate helmets for them. How can the league's current crew of referees be their best after working 40+ hours all week at their normal jobs?

Most people are exhausted after working all week. The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business in a game of inches, but they hire part timers to make the most critical game time decisions? Huh? It just doesn't make sense anymore. Full-time officiating crews need practice and repetition to get better at their jobs, just like the players do, and just like us. The more we do something, the better we get at it with repetition. I also think NFL referees should be younger than the guys we see every Sunday. Nothing wrong with a head referee who is 62 years old like Ed Hochuli, or is there? The game is faster than it's ever been, 4.2 speed is the new 4.4, and aging sucks but it's reality. Why don't the refs wear SOME form of helmets? How in the hell has the NFL gone so long without a referee getting killed or seriously injured? Would full-time refs, wearing protective head gear be better at calling the game?

Fourth, I would invite more fan/viewer participation in the game experience. The NFL should be more interactive during the game with their fans. Online voting should be more encouraged. Did Brady make the first down? Was the receivers foot out of bounds? Did Lynch fumble the ball, or was his knee down?

"What Do You Think, Fans?" TM

Go to NFL.com and vote now. Viewer Voting Percentages (VVP's) will be shown by city after the following commercial break. 1 lucky voter will win a new truck.

Welcome back. Well, Steve it looks like the majority of the VVP's think he didn't get two feet down. 86% of, "Official," NFL voters do not think it was a reception. For only $14.99 per month, you can become an, "Official," NFL I-REF now by going to NFL.com and signing up today.

The fifth and last thing I would do is add 1 more regular season game for teams within playoff contention only. Kind of like a pre-playoff finale. The NFL is coming close to an entire division being decided by one game or less. 16 is an even number. 17 is odd, but much more decisive than 8-8.

[Mace]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

Linemen should get hammers, skill position players bows, QB gets magic, coach gets 3 "no turn" cards per game. Fans get to point and click on fans at the game to undress them if they're on camera. Each coordinator gets a Pox choice where some opposing player cannot play. Home team gets to negate a single Pox or No Turn Card when the choice is revealed.

Just my thought.

[TacklingDummy]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

I'd change the Super Bowl to Saturday.

[gr8slayer]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

I'd start fresh on the rule book, there are just too damn many rules.

[Mace]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

I'd change the Super Bowl to Saturday.

That's just insane.

[mjt328]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

The main thing that needs to be cleaned up is the on-field product. As another poster pointed out, there are too many rules - and it ultimately gives the refs too much control over the game.

I understand the focus on player safety, but there is too much gray area on personal fouls. I've seen defenders get 15 yard penalties for brushing a QB on the helmet. Late hits are a total judgment call by the refs. Many leading with the helmet calls turn out to be clean hits on replay. In my opinion, unless a play is clearly dirty - teams shouldn't be penalized. Questionable hits can still be sent to the league for review. If they are deemed illegal, players can still be fined and/or suspended. This system would discourage dangerous hits, but keep ticky-tacky penalties from affecting the outcome of games.

Rules should also be loosened up on offensive holding and defensive pass interference. Again, there is too much wiggle room for refs from game to game and play to play. Let offensive players hold, unless they are clearly grabbing onto a jersey or grabbing a body part. Eliminate illegal contact completely. Allow more contact downfield. Interference can't be called unless the ball is already in the air, clearly catchable, and receivers are basically tackled or knocked over. These calls can be HUGE to a game. I just think everything should be taken out that isn't blatant and clear to everyone watching.

Eliminate all pointless rules, such as illegal formations and nonsense like the field goal blocking rule in the Jets-Pats game. Get rid of the overly complicated definition of a "catch" and anything that confuses common sense, like the Tuck Rule. If a rule gets put into play once every decade, it probably doesn't need to exist.

Put a sensor in the football (similar to hockey) that allows officials to tell electronically where balls should be spotted, and whether teams get first downs/cross the goal line.

I like the current setup for replays. However, all plays should be subject to challenge/review, including penalties.


Basically, I would do everything in my power to eliminate the possibility of bad calls from the sport.

[Scumbag College]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

1. The officiating is horrid at times and it seems at least one game a week is decided by a marginal call. I'd almost want the NFL to do what the NHL does when they review a play; go to the main office and talk to someone at headquarters about the play. Also, there are so many ambiguities on what's a catch, fumble, interference, and other judgment calls.

2. TD's call to changing the Super Bowl to Saturday is spot on. It would be bigger than New Year's Eve as far as a party night.

3. Line up the bye weeks so that all teams in one division are off on the same week and have them play each other in divisional games the week after their bye week.

4. I hate that when a D-Lineman jumps into the neutral zone and the offensive lineman moves, that it's defensive offsides. There's other rules that I hate, that one sticks out.

5. I miss kickoff returns.

[BuffaloRedleg]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

I have no way to do it, but I'm sick and tired of this QB driven league. This league is made up of teams that have QBs and teams that don't.

Even moreso, you absolutely will not win a Superbowl without a hot or great QB.

I know the vertical passing game is fun to watch, but I'm pretty sick of there being basically one way to win in this league- get a franchise QB and the rest is gravy (for the most part). I wish you could still win a SB with stout defense and ball control, but nowadays that's just not possible.

Maybe I'm harkening back to a time that hasn't existed in decades and I'm showing my sad bias as a fan of a team that hasn't been able to put it together at the QB position, but oh well that's my two cents.

[BertSquirtgum]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

That's just insane.

Why?

[Oaf]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

All refs have "other" 40hr-week jobs? What do they do? Why can't the money-printing NFL give these guys a salary allowing them to focus on the game?

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

The NFL has an excellent product. I'm hooked for life, like a fish. It looks great on television, it sells like crazy and is super popular but there's still room for a lot of improvement.

I'd change 5 things.

The only one of those ideas that's workable is full time refs with helmets, and I agree with that. The others are poor ideas and Saturday football competing with college is actually barred by law (http://mentalfloss.com/article/12751...fered-football)

Here's my comprehensive reform plan:

1) Keep Thursday night football, but limit it to weeks 1, and then 4-17. Both teams appearing on TNF must be coming off their bye weeks.

2) Any foreign game must be played during the preseason. Do your stupid London or Toronto crap if you must, but no team should be deprived of a home game that matters.

3) There should be no limitations on the size of the practice squad, nor restrictions on who can be signed there. Since the NFL doesn't have a minor league, the practice squad should be kept open for guys who need extra time to develop.

4) I like the idea that any play should be reviewable for any reason, subject to the challenge rules. Penalties can and should be overturned if replay shows they were bogus.

5) Pass interference should follow the college rule, 15 yards and auto first. Illegal contact and defensive holding should be 5 yard and replay the down penalties without an automatic first.

6) The Thanksgiving games should be hosted by the cities that cannot host the Super Bowl, on a rotating basis (subject to the TNF rule I laid out above)

7) I love the idea of Super Bowl Saturday

8) Ditch the completely asinine taunting and celebration penalties. Throw a flag if the idiot uses a prop or dances so long that he's interrupting the next play, but otherwise let it go.

I have more radical ideas than that, but I'm not sure the world is ready. Like replacing the Pro Bowl with the two worst teams playing each other, winner gets #1 overall pick.

[Meathead]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

"Oooh yeh, Elizabeth!" Haven't watched television on a Saturday since GLOW, and those hot roller derby chicks.

awesome sanford and son reference, but still ...

racist

[Night Train]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

1. The SB to Saturday idea is quite good. That halftime show drags it out so much and I wind up hitting the sack before it ends, due to work being an early start.

2. No more Thursday games. With the insane amount of injuries these days, those games are not fair to the players at all. Start playing Saturday night games in early December, once the college season concludes. I hate the Thursday games. Dumb idea but the owners are all about greed.

3. Start the season earlier. It's not marshall law that it must be after Labor day. People will attend NFL games any time of year and summer vacation will not hurt this.

4. Reduce pre-season to 2 games. Start camp in June.

5. Do not expand the schedule to 18 games. The playoff rosters would be full of 3rd stringers with an IR list a mile long.

6. Eliminate bands at halftime. Dogs catching frisbees or large breasted women dashing 50 yards for a new cellphone should be the only choices.

[YardRat]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

Lots of good ideas here, so I will just jump on other's bandwagons...

1. Review and revise the rule book...get rid of some (tuck) revise others (15 yards for pass interference especially).
2. Full time officials. It's going to cost, but they can afford it. Also, limit years of service to 15-20 to keep young fresh blood rotating into the ranks.
3. Saturday Super Bowl.
4. Thursday night games, after a bye week only.
5. Full divisions share a bye week, and play each other the week after.
6. I like the 'interactive voting' idea, but that's up to the networks. I believe Sunday Ticket is ahead of the curve on this, others should follow suit.
7. Ditch the Pro Bowl.

You have to have limits on practice squad, etc, to keep teams from stashing players. All penalties can't be subject to review, it would slow the game down too much.

- - - Updated - - -

Good thread, BTW.

[Oldbillsfan]

Re: How Would You Improve The NFL?

1) Saturday SB
2) NFL Ticket available on Cable
3) No more exclusive license for Ea Sports Madden Football
4) Probowl is skills competition
5) Better schediling
6) No Europe or Mexico game
7) Move kickoffs back to the 30
8) Stop making new rules every season
9) No more pink apparel