With two of the major professional sports leagues locked out, it seems like a good time to make some major alterations to those leagues. But the NBA and the NFL aren’t the only sports leagues that would benefit from some tinkering, so here’s my best suggestion for some major sports organizations, starting with the two currently locked out.
The NFL should get back to work. As the most profitable league in America, the current bitching and squabbling is, really, less than sympathetic. The NFL and NFLPA are like kids fighting in a candy store. But that’s not really a fun suggestion, so how about 7 v. 7 overtimes. That OT system needs some thought anyway. Why not make it gimmicky? Let’s say the teams each get five downs to score from the 40-yard line, and they both take five turns, like penalty kicks in soccer, followed by sudden death.
The NBA should eliminate the one-and-done rule. I’ve heard a lot of arguments suggesting that this rule, which prevents high schoolers from entering the draft, improves the competition in both the NBA and the NCAA, but I’d imagine the real impetus for its creation and continuance is owners’ fear of investing in high school players. Here’s an idea: don’t draft them. What bothers me about this rule isn’t its effect on play on the court, however; it’s the philosophy behind it, which is – frankly – un-American. The America that I know has at its foundation the ideals of freedom and reward for merit. The one-and-done rule specifically denies players with the merit to play in the NBA the freedom to do so.
The NHL should rig the playoffs. Seemingly, the NHL has had a lot of things in its favor since its own lockout in ’04-’05: increased scoring, star players (who don’t get paid that much), widespread availability of HDTV. But it’s still a second-tier league in America – at best. Maybe it just needs some time to (re?)ingrain itself in Americans’ hearts, but I think the league could jumpstart that process with an interesting playoffs – leading to one of the most famous trophies in existence. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby – the only hockey players most of America has heard of – need to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, not the second round, which is the only place they’ve met in the playoffs (’09). Then, after an epic seven-game series, the winner needs to take down Detroit in a series with more blood than a Tarantino flick.
FIFA should completely redo the way that matches are officiated. Just start over. They don’t necessarily need to change the rules, just the way the rules are enforced. First of all, the sport with the biggest field of play has just one official who has almost absolute authority, which is just dumb. There’s no way around that. And in practice, it’s immensely evident that the officials are in over their heads and constantly make the wrong calls. The women’s World Cup, going on right now, has provided dozens of examples, unless you ask FIFA who barely says anything about officiating.
The NCAA – all sports – should allow universities to compensate athletes based on their value to the university (within limits). Of course, this is most relevant to players like Reggie Bush or Terrelle Pryor who were worth millions of dollars to their respective universities, even though their on-field contributions have largely been officially disallowed. And they’ve been disallowed specifically because both players sought compensation for their services, in one way or another. Other athletes, say a field hockey player, might protest this change because those athletes don’t provide any monetary value to a university. In fact, most athletes typically drain money from their schools. Fortunately, universities don’t always make decisions based on dollar signs. If they did, they wouldn’t spend money on anything. Most university work (i.e. research, philanthropy, even teaching) leads to red numbers, but they lead to other benefits (cures for diseases, better communities, smarter workers, etc.). Similarly sports teams that cost money typically provide other non-monetary benefits, and they could be compensated accordingly.
MLB should remove – forcibly, if necessary – Chris “Back Back Back Boomer” Berman from the Home Run Derby, which is on tonight. I’m likely to watch it on mute. (By the way, home runs are going forward, not backward. The "back, back, back" call would describe the outfielders, which don't really exist in home run derbies.)
Quote of the Day:
“It is just one of those special days. I've been lying to you guys [the media] for a long time saying I wasn't nervous and there is no pressure. There was a lot of pressure to do it here.”
-Derek Jeter on his 3,000th hit.
I like this quote because an athlete finally admits to lying to the press, which they do every day.
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