In my week 12 thoughts (MSU game), I listed a few topics I would be discussing during the holidays, as I will have some extra time on my hands during this holiday season. I hope this topic spurs more conversation than my last topic, which focused on offseason improvement ideas. This post will be about ideas for improving the game as it is played. Here are a few things that come to my mind:
1. Game pace - The powers that be (TV, Admins) have decreed that the only way they will shorten the length of CFB games is to shorten the number of plays. THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE THOSE COMMERCIAL BREAKS! With that thought in mind, I have a couple of suggestions:
A. Run a ticker at the bottom of the screen with advertisements for businesses at certain buy levels. This should shorten commercial breaks from 3:10 to 2 minutes or so. More than 2 minutes is TOO LONG!
B. Add additional minutes of advertising time to halftime. We don't care to hear all the blah, blah, blah from those talking heads back at the studio. Cut their airtime in half and devote more halftime minutes to advertising. If there is a worry about people not watching the advertising, put a QR Code on the advertising that gives consumers a chance to download a coupon to use to purchase their product for a discounted price. Heck, do that for advertisements during the game.
C. Last point about advertising...Stop all the back-to-back advertising around a score/kickoff. Advertising after a PAT, then going BACK to advertising after the kickoff...what are we doing here?
D. Start the clock again after the ball is spotted following an incomplete pass, except in the last 2 minutes. This will reduce the number of plays, but it can be spun as a positive point when the outcry for player safety is brought up regarding the number of games that are played (I think we play too many already, frankly).
2. Targeting - The rule, as it is called and enforced today, is the single stupidest thing going on in CFB. The written definition of the rule is at best vague and is called and enforced with the consistency of my ability to hit the desired targets on a dart board in a bar. IMHO, the whole thing needs to be trashed and start over. Here are a couple of suggestions for targeting:
A. Establish different levels of targeting, similar to the NBA's flagrant foul rule.
I. A level I targeting involves inadvertent helmet-to-helmet contact, using the crown of the helmet to lead into the opposition, by either the offense or defense (offensive targeting is NEVER called, which puts the defense at a huge disadvantage). The penalty is 15 yards and the player is required to sit the remainder of the series.
II. A level II call involves malicious contact by either a defensive or offensive player where the player launches himself at the opposition, leading with the helmet, and hitting a defenseless player (blindside block) outside the tackle box with no flagrant intent to do bodily harm to the opposing player. The penalty is 15 yards and the player is suspended for 2 quarters.
III. A level III call involves all of the above and is deemed by the officials to have acted with intent to do bodily harm to the opposing player. The penalty is 15 yards and suspension for 4 quarters, with carryover to the next game being possible.
IV. A second level III on the same player results in suspension for 8 quarters. A third results in suspension for the remainder of the regular season.
3. Faking Injuries - This issue is a blatant disregard and disrespect for the integrity of the game, IMHO. There is no way an official can make a judgment call on this, so here we are, in need of formal language to deal with it. I am not going to hash out the difference between being hurt and being injured. That said, we all know the difference. Hurt means you can still play, injured means you can't. My players were always STRONGLY encouraged to learn the difference. We prided ourselves on a culture of me or our training staff having to come get you off the field when you were hurt was disgraceful. My guys NEVER made me come get them for a cramp or similar "hurts". Injured? That was something else entirely. What do we do about it?
A. 1st time a player goes down, He is prohibited from coming back in that series.
B. 2nd time, the rule is the same.
C. 3rd time, the player can't come back for 1 quarter.
D. 4th time, the player can't come back for 2 quarters.
E. 5th time, the player can't come back for the remainder of the game.
4. Overtime - Neal has been very vocal about the absurdity of how CFB determines a winner. The alternating 2-point play is akin to penalty kicks in Futbol. It is ridiculous to determine a winner using either method. In my simple mind, this is the simplest fix of all the issues I have presented:
A. Flip the coin for who gets the ball first, etc. in overtime. Each team is guaranteed ONE possession. No game clock. Each team has one timeout.
B. After each team has had a possession, the next score WINS! Thats it! If you wanted to win, you should have maximized your possession. Period.
Those are the big four things that I would like to see adjusted/changed in CFB. If I did not talk about an issue you would like to see altered, please reply, and let's discuss it. That is all.
