I know… this is a bit of an unusual topic for SOKY and for my column. But it is probably something that is still on many minds… especially serious Saints and Chiefs fans. How can an enterprise as large as the NFL allow games, especially important games, to be decided not by on-the-field play but by non-player actions?
First let me be clear, I am not a huge sports fan. To me sports is just entertainment… like a good movie. If a game is not interesting I won’t watch it for long. I’m one of those people the sports networks hate because if a game is a blowout by halftime I am gone to watch Mork and Mindy reruns on some online video service. The only team I truly follow is the Green Bay Packers and that started when I saw Bart Starr lead the Green & Gold to a win in the first Super Bowl. I also, to some extent, follow the Titans because of their proximity and because of friends who are huge Titans fans. But, in general, once our Packers are out of it for the year Twila and I watch the games more for the commercials and background noise than the competition.
Now, having said that, this year we decided to pick teams in the two pro football championship games for which to cheer so we could artificially enjoy the experience. That led to us tuning in and watching both games, which created a bit of frustration with the NFL. Both games went into overtime, making them more exciting even when we did not truly care about any of the four teams… but neither was decided by actual on-field play. The Saints were basically robbed of a win, not by a bad call by an official but by a bad no-call. Don’t get me wrong… I totally respect anyone who takes on the challenge of being an official in a fast-paced sport. It is not an easy task. But part of that world is having instant replay looking over your shoulder. And if the NFL is going to allow the networks to have instant replay… and let’s face it… in today’s world you can do instant replay on your DVR… then perhaps the head of NFL officials should be sitting in front of a monitor and have the ability to stop the game and correct a truly egregious mistake like the no-call in the Saints-Rams game that cost the Saints a trip to Atlanta.
In the second game, my point is a little less certain but just as reasonable. That game was decided not by the talented and highly-paid players, but by a coin-toss. The way both teams were playing it was almost a foregone conclusion that whoever received the ball first in overtime would score a touchdown and win, and that is exactly what happened. Tom Brady and his New England Pats won the toss, got the ball and marched down the field for a game-winning touchdown. While not a certainty, it is likely that young Mr. Mahomes would have led his Chiefs into the Patriots’ end zone and won if he had gotten a chance to do so.
Do I have the answers to either of these sports issues? Nope. Both are well above my pay grade. But there are a lot of smart guys involved in ownership, management and coverage of NFL sports and with millions and likely billions of dollars involved, it just makes sense to me to make the games as equal and competitive as possible. After all, the next time something like this happens it might be in a truly important game… one that involves my Green Bay Packers… and I want Rogers and Company to have every chance to bring home a win for all us Green & Gold loving Cheesehead fans!
