Random Thoughts

The NBA season started last night and it still seemed like preseason. The players were pushing and shoving more and seemed more intense, but the goonery and/or thuggery of NHL hockey has been penetrating pro basketball for a number of years now. I'm waiting for a good fight where some basketball player pulls his opponents jersey over his head while they scuffle. Then the metamorphosis will be complete.

The Twins named their MVP and pitcher of the year yesterday. Willingham and Diamond. No real surprise there. No one else was even in the competition (which kind of explains our second horrible season in a row.)

I've heard a lot of discussion lately about rule changes in sports. Specifically, IF you could change any rule in sports, what would it be? I know this is an odd one, but bear with me. I would change the points on field goals. Kickers are better than they've ever been and I want to reward teams for using their kickers properly. ANY field goal 55 yards or longer would now be worth 4 points. Conversely, any field goal 35 yards and less would be worth 2 points.

Why the weird change? First, the longer kicks should be rewarded. They require a greater skill set. Secondly, too many teams are willing to settle for field goals on fourth and short in the red zone. Let's change that. Let's make teams MAKE a tough decision when it's 4th and 2 from the nine yard line.

IF they decide that the POSSIBILITY of seven points is worth more than the "sure two" we'll see a better game of football with more drama and strategy.

The cool thing? We may even see kickers line up much farther behind the line of scrimmage to get the additional point on a field goal try. The whole dynamic of the field goal attempt would change. Long snappers would be required from all sorts of distances for teams to get the right distance to score more points. And defenses would line up much differently to try to block these longer tries. Nearly EVERY field goal would suddenly be a chance for something to happen outside the norm.

ALONG with that rule, I'd get rid of the kicking of extra points. You either make the TWO point conversion or you get nothing. Make those offenses work for the extra points, don't reward them with a chip shot. It would also reward defenses who work on stopping that scoring play.

Unpredictability would be added to every single kicking score. That would make for a better game. It would also force coaches to go for touchdowns rather than field goals.

Another idea? IF you are on the other team's side of the field on offense, you will no longer be allowed to punt. You either go for a field goal or go for the first down. If you miss the field goal or don't get the first down, you surrender the ball on downs. I want teams to use all four downs to get the first down. Always having the option to punt makes offenses less aggressive. Make 'em go for it. IF they don't get it, the defense will be rewarded with better field position for stopping them. It will also make penalties in this area of the field more meaningful.

What about a team that deliberately gets a penalty to move back over the 50 yard line? Simple, that penalty will not be accessed until AFTER the next play. The team will be properly penalized but will not get an advantage because of it. This same thing happens on penalties during field goals or extra points. This would be no different.

Football would get so much more interesting to watch if the kicking game changed.