If I were Commish...

by user Vishal

With Roger Goodell set to take over as the NFL Commissioner, I started to think about what I would try to accomplish if I were the most influential man in football...

• A completely different television angle. The reason why football games are so exciting to see in person is that you can see all the players throughout the entire field. On television, we usually only see the quarterback drop back in the pocket on passing plays. The receivers and secondary are not on camera until the ball is thrown. I know it may be difficult and expensive, but I would push all the television networks to adapt a camera hanging from behind the offense, similar to the angle we see in our beloved Madden video game. This way, all 22 players are on camera at all times. When the Steelers pull off one of their signature crazy reverse trick plays, fans at home will be able to see everything and everyone and thereby have a clue as to what the heck is going on, unlike the Seahawks.

• Bring the Chargers to Los Angeles. Keep the Saints in New Orleans.

• The NFL's fear of Las Vegas ends with me as commissioner. Face facts, football is the most enjoyable sport to bet on. I would build a stadium and bring a franchise to America's top tourist city. Vegas is also the perfect place for a Super Bowl.

• Completely revamp the overtime rules. The coin flip/sudden death method is terrible and it is amazing how everyone has put up with it for so long. Let us take a token from the NCAA and let both teams have a drive to score.

• No restrictions on touchdown celebrations. I want to see group dances. I want to see props. The NFL is, before anything else, entertainment.

• Kickoff Weekend is great not only because everyone is excited and hungry for football, but because it features a Thursday night game and a Monday night doubleheader. Why not continue this throughout the season?

• Work out a deal for exhibition games with some college football teams. I truly believed that the USC Trojans could have beaten the San Francisco 49ers last year.

• More international regular season games. The only place in which David Stern's NBA has surpassed the NFL is that is has expanded basketball's popularity to Asia, Europe, and South America.

• Find a way to put computer chips in the football so that we never get another Ben Roethlisberger phantom touchdown.

• If the referees think it is a questionable decision, allow them to review it before making an initial call. The whole "indisputable evidence" places way too much importance on the initial ruling.

• Make pass interference reviewable and the maximum penalty 15 yards.

• Move the NFL Network and NFL Sunday Ticket to cable. The financial loss would be regained by advertising.

• Bob Costas and Al Michaels do every Super Bowl. Is there anyone better?

• Ban ESPN from mentioning Terrell Owens.

• Apologize to the city of Seattle and the Seahawks. You know why.

Date

Thu 08/10/06, 11:05 am EST

DNLLegend

1231 days ago

Score 1

I like the Thursday games... I wish that was a regular thing.

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Dukeboy999Varsity Captain

1231 days ago

Score -1

Great article excecpt the only reaso to apologize to Seattle is because the Seahawks suck. The didnt have any clue. You got some great ideas though.

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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer

1231 days ago

Score 0

I agree with three.

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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer

1231 days ago

Score 0

three of the ideas, not the third thing on the list

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1231 days ago

Score 3

one of Football's weakest spots is pass interference. If you make them all 15 yard penalties, every time there is a 30 yard pass, defenders will just drag 'em down and take the yards... deep plays and passing TDs will go away.

Wanna get rid of something? Get rid of kickers, make teams go all four downs and all 100 yards or turn it over. Punting is "upssy". Eliminate field goals, too. Games need to be decided on a football play, not a soccer kick.

And FIX OT once and for all, make it a 5th quarter. First to score goes away from the how the entire game is played (with a clock)

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1231 days ago

Score 0

yes I know 5th quarter makes no sense mathwise

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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer

1231 days ago

Score -1

It makes sense, you just have to shorten the length of the other quarters all five fit into the same about of time!

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UfgatorsDiv-I Stud

1230 days ago

Score 0

you mean like the college ot format? i once played ot in a college football game, and it dragged on forever. the current ot format builds more suspense, but at the same time, if your team doesnt get the ball first, chances are they will lose the game

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1230 days ago

Score 1

OT as it is now is stupid. One freak play can win a game and alter a season, even. Make OT ten minutes. That way you gotta control clock AND score, ten minute drives are rare, the other team will get a least a shot to win. I don't like college format of getting the ball at the ??25 yd line??. You use the whole field all game and then get a different field for OT... makes NO sense.

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HappyskinnyAll-American

1230 days ago

Score 0

Yeah, the college football OT format just feels to contrived.

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UfgatorsDiv-I Stud

1230 days ago

Score 1

well, i love thursday games too, but if we had football on thursdays, sundays, mondays, and the occasional saturday game, then we wouldnt look forward to the games as much. too much of a good thing is not good. plus, we wouldn't be able to watch the wonderful NBC lineup! About football in vegas...right now, there is no where to put a stadium. A stadium for an nfl franchise would mean relocation for the unlv rebels, which means relocation for sam boyd stadium and or cashman center. i'd love a team here, but there is no place for it

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1230 days ago

Score 0

have you been to Vegas? They could build anything very fast there... it only took Cardinals Stadium 2 years to get built! It opens tonight.

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UfgatorsDiv-I Stud

1230 days ago

Score 1

well on the hall of fame game, i forgot who it was, but an announcer said that the game has changed significantly over the years. it used to be: play, or be out of a job! now, its play if you want...we'll still pay you a bajillion dollars. football used to be an athlete's job; now it is just a game for some guys. how this can be fixed, i don't know, but im sick of players holding out for an insignificant raise.

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1230 days ago

Score 0

guys hold out for insignificant raises because they don't want to go through 'effin' training camp. Heard from a former holdout in his own words.

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Michalski81Soccer Kid

1229 days ago

Score 0

i hate guys who re-negotiate in the 2nd year of a 5 year deal because someone else got 11 cents more than they signed for!

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CochiseWaterboy

1230 days ago

Score 2

The TV idea is a good one but I think we will eventually see that develop anyways, different camera angles and such are bound to be part of NFL packages in a few year.

I don't agree with a franchise in Vegas. There are a lot of tourists but would they have a consistant fan base? And which team? A new one? I'd rather expand internationally before I go to Vegas. It would be good for a Super Bowl though.

I think making the NFL package part of the cable programming is a mistake too. It isn't for everybody and it really doesn't cost that much for the fans who actually will use it.

I could go on and on but I think most of your changes are not needed. Most of all, your changes are what a fan would do. But it is a lot different when you are actually a commish and have owners and etc. breathing down your neck. How can you call for Thursday games? What happens for the team that gets only 3 days rest between two of their games? Are you going to restrict scheduling to make sure every team gets reasonable amounts of practice days and rest between games?

And what owner, NFL coach or college coach would put their players at risk injury-wise in a useless exhibition game? Not to mention the insult you would give to the poor NFL team you choose. You would never stop hearing it from fans and players who were subjected to play a college team under the premise that they were the underdogs.

If I were commish, I would do what Goodell should do and follow Paul Taglibue's example. Because you don't get a better commish than that period.

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1230 days ago

Score 1

I think a Super Bowl in Vegas would be a complete mess and beyond a HUGE terror risk.

Tourists or not, Las Vegas is a pretty big town in it's own right (over 1.4mil in Las Vegas valley)

I think the NFL is glad the NBA dabbled there first.

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Jgov05All-American

1230 days ago

Score 0

How is Las Vegas a bigger terror risk than New York or some of the other NFL cities?

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Michalski81Soccer Kid

1229 days ago

Score 0

i think the Whole NFL package thing needs to be modified a little. i am a bears fan in NJ and i don't get to see them...well at all unless they play the jets,giants or are on sunday night or monday night (now with the new scheduling i have more of a chance with thurs.,sat.,sun. & mon.)

i think the NFL Package could offer a deal where you pay for a season of your teams games. i would do that. or a pay per view plan where you can order 1,2,4 or 8 games.

i would order every bears game just so i DON'T have to watch the Giants every sunday.

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UfgatorsDiv-I Stud

1230 days ago

Score 1

manny i live in vegas now. there is nowhere to build a stadium! knowing goodman (the mayor) he'd knock down a building right now to build a stadium!

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1230 days ago

Score 0

Do what they did here in Phoenix, put it out somwhere where there's nothing and build malls and restaurants around it. Cards stadium looks like an alienship in a field of rocks. If they can build a bridge over the Black Canyon Dam (I refuse to recognize it as Hoover Dam), they can build a stadium in/around Las Vegas. Will they?

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UfgatorsDiv-I Stud

1230 days ago

Score 1

since this is fitting for vegas: the odds are a million to one of them building around the dam. i like the idea of building it in the middle of nowhere, and then surrounding it with malls and stuff like that.

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Ray agmJV Squad

1230 days ago

Score 0

YES move the Chargers to LA

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Manny StilesMajor Leaguer

1230 days ago

Score 7

Just call them the "Los Angeles Chargers of San Diego".

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CochiseWaterboy

1230 days ago

Score 0

Hahahahahahahaha Manny, that gets my vote as the funniest comment left on this site so far.

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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer

1230 days ago

Score 0

Nice, Manny.

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Jgov05All-American

1230 days ago

Score 0

I've always wanted to see a college All Stars team take on the worst team in the NFL. This needs to happen!

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UfgatorsDiv-I Stud

1230 days ago

Score 1

haha they could call it the "scouting game", because more than likely that team is going to get one of the players on the all-star team!

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Bobbyjim45Draft Pick

1230 days ago

Score 0

Love the idea of exhibition games against college teams...

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CochiseWaterboy

1230 days ago

Score 0

That actually, in my opinion, is the worst idea of the bunch. It would be fun to watch but harmful to both the pro and college programs that participated. And since it would be an exhibition game, why would both teams try?

It seems like a good idea until you actually start to plan for how it is going to work.

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