Almost every day now we read about another proposed rule change for the National Football League. OK, there are probably a few things that could be dialed out a little more to make the game better for everyone all around. But, let’s face it. The NFL works. It’s one of the most successful sports leagues on the planet and the league continues to grow more popular and more profitable each year.
Remember that wise old saying, ‘If it works, don’t fix it’. Perhaps a little fine tuning here and there, but, in general, the NFL doesn’t need fixing. Still, Roger Goodell continues to entice speculation with his little comments now and then about changing this or that rule. But notice, there have been very few actual changes over the past few years.
In order to make a real rule change several things have to happen. First of all Roger Goodell has to be in favor of the change or it will never get off the ground. Then it must gain approval of the 32 team owners, many of whom are elderly gentlemen set in their ways and generally opposed to change in any form. There is also, of course, the NFL competition committee involved in the process, but those guys do whatever Sir Roger says anyway.
Expansion is the key word to many of the proposed rule changes. Let’s expand the regular season to 18 games, add 2 more pre-season games and then, just for fun, let’s invite still more teams into the NFL Playoffs next year. Mercy. Isn’t almost ten billion dollars a year enough? At what point does the market become so super-saturated with football that the public starts to turn away?
Still, the commissioner is already talking about expanding the NFL Playoffs this coming season and the idea seems to be gaining momentum in the press and with the public. If there are to be more pro football games, definitely make them playoff games, any NFL fan will tell you that.
Now the kicking game is under fire. There are those who would move the point after touchdown kick back to the 20 or 25 yard line or eliminate it all together. Others want to see kickoff and punt returns taken away because guys sometimes get hurt. But the kicking game is an integral part of the game of football. If you want to watch a game without kicking plays or any risk of injury, watch something else.
