Sports Rules That Must Go

This Pete Carroll hiring has basically shown that the NFL needs to do something about the Rooney Rule. I understand the the rule is made with good intentions, but all it does is force teams to conduct false interviews with minority candidates, though you'd have to assume they're paying them under the table for it...

 

THIS!

OF COURSE they are happy. If the opposing team sees it as taunting they need to grow a pair. WHY is it so wrong to celebrate success? Grrrr! Drives me mad!

 

Hockey:

Why would you bring shootouts into professional hockey, you stupid fucking assholes?

This is NO WAY to decide who wins and loses a game. From a guy who played hockey since he was 4 years old, I've never met a single hockey player that's fond of this idiotic way to finish. It's not fair to to goalies, since you usually have a 50% chance of scoring on a breakaway, and it shanks the skill and fundementals of the game.

This shit doesn't even belong in Soccer, and I don't even like that sport. There's nothing wrong with a regular season tie now and then.

Football (NFL):

You should no longer be able score in overtime with a field goal. Either that, or get rid of sudden death overtime completely and just play a shorter quarter. Kicking a field goal in overtime is practically cheating in my book.

 

The All Star game deciding World Series home field advantage is stupid. People still don't care about the game, and it now has way too much importance. Just give it to the team with the better regular season record. If they have identical records, think of a tie-breaker. Runs allowed or something.

 

I agree. Although after Joe Horn did the stunt with the cell phone I was like "this is getting annoying."

Now however I miss it, I would deal with all the ridiculous celebrations to get the TD dances back. However only for TD's or big plays, I hate it when a guy does a dance after his six yard reception when his team is down ten points.

 

Why though? I agree that in the current context, it is a smart play. However, if the offensive player is initiating contact, why should it be treated as a foul? Especially since half the time, the offensive player isn't even making a realistic shot attempt.



I think the circle rule in NBA basketball has to go. Yes, David Stern, I get it: Crowds love rim-shattering dunks. However, I like seeing defense being played 90 feet on the court, and I like seeing defensive players who make a good play rewarded. The idea that charge is no longer charging within that area is nonsensical, and nothing but an appeal to the lowest common denominator. The NCAA gets along fine without it.

 

The automatic Yellow Card in soccer for taking off your shirt in celebration of a goal. Fucking nonsense.

Also, a proper TMO (like in rugby) is needed. The referee and/or assistant referees (linesmen, goddammit) should be able to refer any contentious decision to the TMO and then the TMO's word is final. Soccer NEEDS this, badly. If that had been in place last year, we might have seen Ireland and not France at the 2010 World Cup Finals (and Manchester United winning less penalties at Old Trafford)...

 

Bring back rucking, The ruck area in rugby will clear up immensely if only you could ruck again properly. Sure no stomping thats nasty but if someone is lying all over the ball on the wrong side of the ruck, then he will sure as hell move if he gets a nice set of tag marks on him.

 

I could not disagree more. I want the NBA and NFL to adopt this rule. It is a step closer to making people give a fuck. Finally the NFL did something this year to make people give one more fuck about the Pro-Bowl than usual. It'll still suck, but it got one step better. Let's not just say fuck-all because it sucks now. If everyone adopted this the games would be better. In the NBA I'm tired of the alley-oop contests every fucking play in the All-Star game. It's bad enough that fans get 100% of the vote and wash-ups still get in the game while good players like Chris Bosh who are in smaller markets and aren't media whores don't even get a shot. (Looking at you T-Mac).

 

So why would you want an alley-oop contest like that deciding home-court in the NBA Finals? Let's face it, people just don't care as much about All-Star games anymore. Trying to make the game seem more important by tying home-field/court/ice advantage to the outcome is idiotic. Does anybody actually watch the baseball All-Star Game because they want to see who gets home-field in the World Series?

If half the players out there have no stake in playing for home-field (and let's face it, by midseason at least that many teams have virtually no hope of making the World Series) why put it at stake? Everything in the lead-up to the game marks it as an exhibition. The fans are having fun. The players are goofing around and having fun. Taking that atmosphere and making it a serious competition just because the game ended in a tie the previous year is a joke. Aside from the fact that the NFL adopting the idea is impossible, it would be just as stupid in the other leagues. The players themselves have said that they don't take the baseball all-star game as seriously as a regular season game, so there's no reason to make it far more important than one, at least to the two teams that have to live with the outcome.

That being said, kudos to the NFL for getting it right this year with the Pro Bowl. I don't know how I feel about moving it out of Hawaii, but putting it in the off-week before the Super Bowl might actually translate to more people giving a shit and watching the game.

 

I'll support getting rid of the DH when they institute a rule that says any pitcher with an OPS under .500 isn't allowed to pitch. The DH became a necessity when the notion of a pitcher being a competent hitter was totally abandoned.

Focus: Soccer should have nine men on the pitch and the shootout should be done with alternating set pieces (set piece ends when the ball is knocked out of bounds or cleared past half) instead of alternating penalty kicks.

 

Exactly. I do not see the utility of making, for example, Danny Granger, whose Pacers team is playing .350 ball, a decisive factor in home court advantage come June.

I would be fine with this is every team made the playoffs. Which would obviously be stupid.

But short of that, the principal/agent problem here is huge: players on non-playoff teams are playing on 'behalf' of players on playoff teams, with no incentive to give a shit.Why should a player for the Hornets give two shits whether the Lakers get home court advantage?

The problem is even worse in MLB, because of the requirement that every team have an All-Star. At least in the NBA, the roster is heavily concentrated on playoff teams (20/24 2008 All Stars made the playoffs. 21 if you count Jason Kidd, who made it but while playing for a different team). In last year's MLB All-Star game, it was about 40%.

 

The need to throw four pitches in baseball to signal an intentional walk is a waste of time. Just have the manager or pitcher tell the ump and send the guy to first base.

 

Obviously, the idea is that it wouldn't be an ally-oop contest if it mattered. Don't pretend like you overlooked that.

Anyone who actually cares about baseball does. That may not be true, but that's why I watch it.

I don't mind the game being for home field, but in it's current state it's not done nearly as well as it should be. First of all, since there's that much riding on the game, take out the fan vote. Give the votes to people who actually know something about baseball, the players, managers, baseball writers of america, etc. Also, as someone else mentioned, get rid of the rule that every team needs a representative.

If you're going to have the game mean something, have meaningful players on the field.

 

I agree that fan voting should be removed from all-star consideration. I remember looking at the pro-bowl voting after week 14 and Adam Vinatieri was receiving a large portion of fans kicking votes, and the guy had only kicked in 4 games. Fan voting turns the all-star balloting into a popularity contest.
If it must play a part, it should be used as a tie-breaker only.

 

Agreed. Ray Allen made some remarks about this last week in the NBA.

As it stands now, both Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady are slated to start for their respective All Star teams.

At least Iverson is playing. McGrady is coming off of injury and has only played in handful of games, all coming off the bench. He's averaging 3.2 points per game.

 

Right, but I still believe that the All-Star games are meaningless. What NFL player wants to play in an extra game that they get paid jack shit for (aside from a trip to Hawaii, BFD when you make that much, and now not even that). Injuries are reality, and now there is no chance that any superbowl player will be in the game.

NBA All-Star games are fun just to watch an offensive show and see NBA Jam style dunks and alley-oops. Plus, I think it is kind of cool and an honor that AI will get to play in the All-Star game in what is likely to be his last season.

MLB was just cool because, pre inter-league play, you never saw national league players playing against american league players outside of the WS. It is cool seeing everyone playing in their own jerseys next to the stars of the game. There is a break in the long season, and really, unless your name is Ray Fosse and have a jack-ass like Pete Rose who took the exhibition way too seriously, the chance of injuries are nil.

Yes, sportswriters may get it better than the fans, but that is not guaranteed. Aside from this year, when they got the MVP and Cy Young winners right in MLB, they usually fuck things up. This is the same group that could not get their collective asses together and unanimously put in Rickey Henderson, the best lead-off hitter ever, in the HOF (hell, they could not do the same for Willie Mays, but that was probably due to some racism). Maybe it could be restricted to players and coaches, but seriously, all-star games are for the fans and are, and should be, meaningless.

I take issue to certain things in sports, but exhibition games are not one of those things, with the exception that NFL pre-season exhibition games are worthless, designed to take money from the fans (esp season ticket holders) and almost always result in some stud getting injured before the season even starts.

 

The MLB all-star game is not meaningless.