Commissioner for a Day... The NFL

I love football especially the NFL. But like most people I have things that I would change about the NFL that are just plain stupid, like their instant replay system. So follow along as I highlight the things I would change as commissioner of the NFL.

Instant Replay
The NFL's replay system is simply horrible. They expect the referee, the leader of the crew, to go under the hood and review the calls of his guys and sometimes himself and then say that they maybe blew it the first time around? Now I'm not saying I believe there shouldn't be instant replay, I'm saying a member of the on field officiating crew shouldn't be the one reviewing the calls. The other thing that drives me crazy is the whole coaches challenge being the only method of requesting a review (outside of the last two minutes). There are clear situations where the call on the field is so wrong that the coach shouldn't have to throw the flag.

My solution: Adapt a similar model to that of college football. Move the replay decisions to the press box. Replays are initiated by the officials in the booth at all points in the game and the coaches have the ability to request a challenge once a game.

Illegal Contact
One of the worst game play rules that exist. These are professional wide receivers here, we don't need to baby them. If they can't get free from press coverage/contact by a defensive back then they don't deserve to be playing.

My solution: Get rid of the rule and make wide receivers get open on their own.

TV Commercial Breaks
Why do we go to commercial break after a team scores, come back watch the kick-off and then take another commercial break. No wonder the games always run long.

My solution: The NFL dictates when commercials will occur not the television networks. Let's get some continuity to the game play.

Overtime
A coin flip to determine the winner of the game if it makes it to overtime? Are you serious? When something like 80% of all coin flip winners win a game in overtime you know you've gotta change your rules. The other problem with playing a overtime as just another quarter is that it promotes boring football. Each team is overly cautious and plays to get just enough yards to kick a field goal. What can be worse then that?

My solution: Alternating possesion starting at the 30 yard line. Teams must go for two starting in the second overtime. This gives each team a chance with the ball and a 47-yard field goal isn't a gimme.

Television Schedule
Ever wonder why your local FOX station is showing some horrible movie at 1pm (et) when you know there's a football game on FOX on that time? What about bonus coverage that all of a sudden stops at 4:15 (et)? Yeah, so do I and the answer lies in the NFL's television rules, which are more complex then the tax code. Basically the rules only allow one network to have a doubleheader a week with the network who has the doubleheader alternating each week. The NFL also prevents the single game network from broadcasting games live after 4:15 (et) to maximize viewership for the late game. More on these rules can be found here.

My solution: Screw the whole idea of market area's and allow both CBS and FOX to show two games a day and let the local affiliates pick the games they want to air in that local. There's no reason that if there is football being played that it can't be on TV. Pretty simple I know. Oh and CBS needs to get their act together and get all games in HD, there's no excuse not too.

Obviously there's more I would do, but these are the things that really drive me crazy.