Don’t get me wrong, I do not hate football. I am a football nut, and I run a football website. That being said, there are some things about the sport of football, or more accurately, the state of football in this day in age that drives me crazy. So, what better than a countdown of the top things I hate about football?
10. The NFL Network
The NFL Network is a great idea, but executed poorly by the NFL. They are trying to charge cable companies high fees for broadcasting the network, but then demand that the cable companies include it on their basic cable packages. With a limited viewership due to this battle, the NFL then turned around and started airing premier games that many of us did not get to see, like last season’s Cowboys-Packers game.
9. The NFL having a monopoly on pro football
This really is a minor irritant. The problem I have with the NFL being a monopoly is that they have no incentive to try new things or innovate. Competition breeds creativity, so let’s hope Mark Cuban can bring the UFL to fruition.
8. Sudden Death Overtime
The problem I have with overtime in the NFL is that the team that gets the ball first wins more than half the time. Why? Because they only have to mount about 35-45 yards of offense to get within field goal range. And who wants to see a game determined by a guy who isn’t really a football player? Moving the kick off up ten yards may be enough to even the odds for both teams.
7. High School recruiting rankings
A cottage industry has popped up around the college football recruiting process. ESPN gives recruiting updates on its website, and several other sites publish their own rankings. While it’s nice to know who will be playing for your team in the future, these rankings are largely irrelevant and inaccurate. Just like the NFL Draft, there are busts and sleepers in each class. And most rankings are influenced by a program’s reputation. That has to explain how Notre Dame can be so bad despite being consistently ranked high in the recruiting wars.
6. NFL's Instant Replay
The good thing about the NFL's instant replay system is that it works. The problem is that it slows down the game and forces coaches to gamble with their time outs to correct a bad call. I'm not saying that instant replay needs to be scrapped. I think it is a good thing. I just don't like how it stops the game for up to 10 minutes just to get a call right. Making the coach have to be the one to "call out" a bad play, and punishing them if they are wrong, doesn't make any sense either.
5. Know-it-all football “experts” on TV
Remember when the Florida Gators didn’t stand a chance against Ohio State a few years ago? Or when the Patriots were locks to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl. Thank the know-it-all “experts” on ESPN and other shows for not having the guts or imagination to pick a winner that’s not a favorite.
4. NFL rookie contracts
The amount of money handed over to top draft picks is ridiculous. Last year’s #1 pick, JaMarcus Russell, signed a six year contract with over $30 million guaranteed. What did he do to deserve it? Absolutely nothing. The escalating contracts have also made top picks harder to trade. The NFL owners should demand a change to the system during the next round of CBA negotiations.
3. Holding penalties
Nothing ruins a good game like a holding penalty stalling a drive, especially when the penalty is minor and has no bearing on the play. Most holding calls are relatively minor, and penalizing a team 10 yards for these minor fouls makes no sense. I would like to see a 5 yard holding penalty and a 10 yard “flagrant” holding penalty, similar to the facemask penalties.
2. The NCAA's exploitation of "student" athletes
College football and basketball are big moneymakers for American universities. The BCS, March Madness, and numerous TV contracts have made these two sports key breadwinners for many universities. But the NCAA has gone too far. While I don't advocate players getting paid, I do think they are getting the raw end of the deal. Universities make money off of their likeness (via video games and jersey sales), but are failing these athletes from an academic standpoint. Many of these athletes do not graduate, or even take college level classes while they are playing sports. But the blame goes both ways. Colleges use these athletes to make money, and many of these athletes use the colleges as a stepping stone to pro sports. The ones that are getting the raw deal are players like Cincinnati QB Ben Mauk, who was denied a 5th year of eligibility this past offseason. Mauk, who has graduated and is working on a graduates degree, tore up his shoulder in 2006. He missed extensive time and deserves another season of edibility, but did not get it.
1. The Bowl Championship Series
The BCS is the worst thing to ever have happened to college football. The ridiculous selection process often leaves out the best team or teams. The idea of selecting two teams out of over 100 to play in a game almost two months after the end of the season is stupid. College football needs either a 4-8 team playoff OR scrap the BCS and go back to the original bowl system.