Anyone else over the NFL?

[JWay]

I don't like how the NFL has gone conservative. Its hardly exciting to watch a team take 40 seconds in between every play and struggle. If they lowered the playclock and forced teams to be aggressive, I'd be right back in.

[railroad_ross]

I wouldn't say I'm over the NFL but I don't watch as much. More than anything I'm sick of the double standard. MLB is held to a much higher standard than the NFL and it pisses my off. The tape scandal in NE and the star players being caught on Steroids would cripple the MLB... while the NFL gets a free pass.

That said this season was one of the most exciting in recent memory. There where at least three head-to-head "play in" games for the playoffs including the last game of the season. What more could you want on the field.

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by JWay

I don't like how the NFL has gone conservative. Its hardly exciting to watch a team take 40 seconds in between every play and struggle. If they lowered the playclock and forced teams to be aggressive, I'd be right back in.

I agree, I think the play clock should be 25 all the time, like it is after the clock stops.

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by bababui

The 1980 Raiders v Chargers AFC Championship is just about as good as the Dolphins v Chargers game, IMO.

1980 AFC CHAMPIONSHIP RAIDERS VS CHARGERS AAA CLASSIC For Sale

Good game, classic for the Raiders as the Wild Card wonders move on to the Super Bowl, but they never trailed in the game - and it didn't have any of the thrills and momentum shifts of the "Epic."

But for the ending (and because of the ending), the "Red Right 88" game in the divisional round was more of a classic, IMO.

And, as I recall, 1980 also had a classic NFC Divisional Round masterpiece with Dallas's Danny White and Drew Pearson stunning Black Bart and the Atlanta crowd with late-game heroics. And in 1981 the AFC's "Epic" gave way to the "Freezer Bowl", while the NFC got the legendary "The Catch" game.

Nostalgia is, indeed, a seductive liar...

...but those were some great times for the NFL.

[CBL-Commish]

Originally Posted by The Professor

Today there is a spontaneous dance show that breaks out after every tackle. Too, the graphics were minimal and the announcers stuck to the game, spent less time dissertating on popular culture and off-the-field hijinks. It was a tight, dramatic, affair.

It makes me sound old and crotchety, but the for all the legitimate criticism about the "No Fun League", I think all the excess chest-thumping crap you get today is a real downer. It isn't as bad as the commercial-after-commercial, with commercial graphics throughout setup, but it's not far behind.

You mean pro football can be played without exploding transformer robots on the screen all of the time, and without players doing a lavish 12-minute musical production after a three yard gain on 2nd and 11? Well, I'll be darned.

[SJM1583]

Originally Posted by Cryomaniac

I agree, I think the play clock should be 25 all the time, like it is after the clock stops.

that presents a problem after a big play (think 50 yard pass) when it could take nearly that long just to get everyone down there. a better solution would be to make like college where the clock stops moving until the first down chains get moved down the field again (this may only be in the final 2 minutes or something like that.)

[The Professor]

Originally Posted by CBL-Commish

You mean pro football can be played without exploding transformer robots on the screen all of the time, and without players doing a lavish 12-minute musical production after a three yard gain on 2nd and 11? Well, I'll be darned.

I know! I was shocked they were able to pull it off.

[t-bone shuffle]

My biggest issue with the NFL is that the officials can have much too much of an influence on the outcome of the game. Look at the Chargers/Colts on Saturday night. San Diego gets three first downs on penalties (I'm not here to argue the legitimacy of the penalties) on it's last drive and wins the game.

Regardless of the circumstances or the legitimacy of the penalties, this type of thing always rubs me the wrong way.

[SWardle]

Originally Posted by t-bone shuffle

My biggest issue with the NFL is that the officials can have much too much of an influence on the outcome of the game. Look at the Chargers/Colts on Saturday night. San Diego gets three first downs on penalties (I'm not here to argue the legitimacy of the penalties) on it's last drive and wins the game.

Regardless of the circumstances or the legitimacy of the penalties, this type of thing always rubs me the wrong way.

The facemask was pretty legit. That "nose tackle holding the center on a running play" though was lame as all get out, IMO. Spare me the rulebook too. That **** is _never_ called. Ever. It's called so infrequently that I can't even remember the last time I've seen holding called on a defensive lineman, on an offensive lineman inside the tackle box. I mean, WTF?

No way I call that in that situation. That's like the lame ass traveling call on Villanova against UNC a couple of years ago. They never call it all season long and then call it on the most crucial play of a nail biting game.

Ugh.

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by SJM1583

that presents a problem after a big play (think 50 yard pass) when it could take nearly that long just to get everyone down there. a better solution would be to make like college where the clock stops moving until the first down chains get moved down the field again (this may only be in the final 2 minutes or something like that.)

Yeah, the college system would work.

[Skipaway]

Originally Posted by CBL-Commish

You mean pro football can be played without exploding transformer robots on the screen all of the time, and without players doing a lavish 12-minute musical production after a three yard gain on 2nd and 11? Well, I'll be darned.

What they need to do is to hire celebrity judges and give out scores according to the performance of the touchdown dance.

[Dargone]

Again, I watched the playoffs and, again, the lady points out the incessant replays and advertisements. I realize that's my major problem with the NFL as it now stands. I still enjoy the sport, but I can't handle the way it is currently presented. It's ridiculous, The Professor explained it perfectly earlier in the thread.

[Cryomaniac]

Originally Posted by The Professor

Oh man!

The "Epic in Miami", the AFC playoff at the Orange Bowl between the Dolphins and Air Coryell Chargers -- took place the day after Clemson won their National title there (something that was repeated relentlessly by Don Criqui and John Brodie, the broadcasters...)

The Chargers run out to a 24-0 lead before the 1st quarter is up, as the Dolphins can get no offense running behind mobile but erratic QB David Woodley.

In the second quarter, Don Shula puts in lanky Don Strock, his pocket-passing relief whiz (hence the "WoodStrock" term for Miami's quarterbacking tandem) and the Dolphins march down the field at will, scoring 17 unanswered points - including the final score of the half, the famous hook-and-lateral play (Strock hit Duriel Harris who lateraled to Tony Nathan who galloped into the endzone) to close the gap.

The two teams traded scores in the third quarter with long, impressive, drives. The Dolphins started the fireworks as Strock led them to a game-tying score. Fouts and the Chargers answered with a scoring toss to Kellen Winslow. The Dolphins tied it once again at 31 with a Strock-to-Dan Hardy connection of 50 yards. They'd then take the lead on the first play of the fourth quarter (and Nathan run) after Fouts was intercepted at the end of the third.

With both teams drenched in sweat, Kellen Winslow repeatedly dragging himself off the field and collapsing on the Chargers sideline in agony, Miami tried to sit on the lead while Air Coryell stalled. The Dolphins were driving for what was sure to be a clinching score, eating up clock in huge chunks, when Andra Franklin fumbled on the Charger 18-yard-line. Fouts took the Bolts on one last drive and with less than a minute left hit James Brooks in the back of the endzone to knot the score at 38 (famously, the pass looked intended for Winslow, but sailed just beyond his outstreched hands and into the hands of Brooks who seemed totally unaccounted for...)

But there was still plenty of time for Strock, enjoying the game of his life (several times the announcers noted that it could be the game that changed his career -- alas, Strock would never escape his "relief" role) to drive the Dolphins into field goal range.

But Uwe von Schamann's field goal attemp was blocked by, of all people, Kellen Winslow.

To overtime.

San Diego won the toss, drove to about the Miami ten, but Rolf Benirschke shanked a chip-shot field goal. By this point the cameras were focused on Winslow, practically crawling off the field after the plays in which he took part, being administered to by trainers, clearly in agonizing pain.

Miami, granted a repreive, drove deep into Chargers territory to set up a relatively easy von Schamann try. But this one, too, was blocked, this time by Charger Leroy Jones.

Ultimately, the Chargers managed to put together the clinching drive as the first OT period wound down, setting up Benirschke's 29-30 yard winning field goal. Final: 41-38.

And then the iconic photos of Winslow, towel covered, being helped off the field by his mates.

For my money, and watching it again only confirmed it to me, it was the most exciting pro football game ever played. 433 yards passing for Fouts who was at the height of his powers, 403 for Strock who didn't even play in the first quarter. Winslow caught 13 passes for more than 160 yards and was treated for dehydration, a pinched nerve, and a gash that needed stitches among other injuries during the game.

Poor Bolts, they had to go from the balmy Orange Bowl to the AFC Championship in Cincinnati the next week -- the coldest game ever played in NFL history (-60 F with wind chill). Yuk. They lost, of course. And the door pretty much slammed shut on Air Coryell's Super Bowl flight plans....

...but that game? Wow! The NFL at its very best.

I may have to find a video of that.

[Dargone]

It's even worse this year. I have not watched one minute of the NFL. To be fair, I'm busy with school and work but if someone would have told me this even as little as five years ago I would have laughed at them. I keep up a little with what's going on so I can chat about it casually to classmates/friends but that's about it.

[rudel.dietrich]

I have been over it. The main problem is that the game is just too damn slow. With most other sports, baseball included, you can get unbroken action for 15-20 minutes (or longer).
American football both pro and college is short bits of action split up by nearly infinite numbers of commercial breaks. They grind down my enthusiasm to watch a game pretty quickly.

[kenyan_cheena]

I have been following the NFL on and off for 20 years now, my first season being '89 when the 49ers crushed the Broncos in the Superbowl.

I still enjoy it, with this year being more interesting than the last few seeing as the Bengals look like making the playoffs.

HOWEVER, my one problem with the game relates to the amount of time taken. I just can't handle the fact that the two teams can basically fart around for 28 minutes of each half and then all of a sudden try to fit as many plays in as possible in those last couple of minutes.

It's ridiculous that a team can run a play, wait for 45 seconds and then run another one, and then wait another 45 seconds before running the next one. This means that during a period of 90 seconds of game time it's possible that the ball could be "in play" for a handful of seconds. It's ridiculous. Yet, at the end of the half they use timeouts and spike the ball to stop the clock.

I really think they should reduce the play clock to 25 seconds, or 30 at the most. These guys are getting paid millions of dollars. They should be able to handle running more plays in each game than they do.

[rudel.dietrich]

I have no statistics to back this up. But one thing I have noticed from my little NFL watching is how WELL teams do when they go into a hurry our asses off 2 minute offense. It seems like yards gained and points increase significantly.
I would love to see a study done on this and see if it bears any truth.

If true, imagine how exciting games would be if teams were in this mode the entire game?

If anyone has data about this then please share. I have always wanted to see if my observations were correct.

[Erik W.]

Running a full time no-huddle offense requires the right personnel. The Colts can do it because the Colts have Peyton Manning. The Bills tried it this season and the results have been disastrous.

[rudel.dietrich]

Originally Posted by Erik W.

Running a full time no-huddle offense requires the right personnel. The Colts can do it because the Colts have Peyton Manning. The Bills tried it this season and the results have been disastrous.

It is not just the no huddle. It is the sense of urgency. Quick snaps and passes to players who try and get out of bounds or are tackled quickly.
High tempo fooball on both sides of the ball. The yards seem to start flowing and scoring increasing.

Again I would like to see some confirmation on that but I would be interested.

[Le Grande Orange]

Originally Posted by rudel.dietrich

But one thing I have noticed from my little NFL watching is how WELL teams do when they go into a hurry our asses off 2 minute offense.

They have to better at it, because NFL team now insist on routinely wasting their timeouts stopping the clock shortly before the two minute warning.

Why on Earth do NFL teams do this?!? The team doesn't have the ball, okay, and you're behind. But the clock is going to stop at the two minute warning anyway, and aren't you going to need your timeouts for when you get the ball back? So why the hell waste them stopping the clock thirty seconds before it's going to stop anyway?

Oh, and I hate what the NFL has done in recent years to make it ridiculously easy for quarterbacks. They might as well just retire the intentional grounding rule entirely, because they've completely neutered it.