The NFL’s got a great product, as everyone knows, but there’s one glaring weakness. The overtime rules set forth in 19whatever befit a different time, when kickers were far less accurate and coaches much more gung-ho. But nowadays, fully 44% of the overtimes are won without one team ever touching the ball–in essence, coming down to the coin flip. It’s basically one team getting a decent return to the 30 or 35, gaining a first down or two, getting a pass interference call on a deep ball, turtling around the 20 to set the ball up at the middle of the field, and kicking a field goal. Not that exciting. It’s a cruelly uncompetitive finisher in a league where playoff berths can flip on a single W or L.

(”Whoever gets this probably wins. Sorry, other team.”)

So the NFL’s “looking at” changes, and who knows what’ll come of that. The last time a football organization tried to figure out an overtime structure, the ridiculous mess that is the college OT setup came out. The NFL cannot adopt those rules; there’s no time limit and it barely resembles “real” football. MOUTHPIECE SPORTS and SHUTDOWN CORNER have a couple ideas, and they’re not bad. Seriously, either an auction plan or shortening the overtime (see above links) would be definite improvements.

But we think we’ve got a better plan. We can only submit to the court of public opinion for the NFL, but we’re definitely sending it to the CFL. We’re dead serious about this, people: one simple rule change that will make overtime the most intense, entertaining part of the NFL.

That rule is… Read more…

The Baylor Bears have come a long way since the disgraceful days of Dave Bliss and the pitiful practice of players murdering their own teammates.

So what’s another five overtimes?

Baylor outlasted Texas A&M, 116-110, in a 3 1/2 hour marathon that was the longest game in Big 12 history. The win brings the #25 Bears to 16-2 on the season - and assures that the team wants to stay in the Top 25 after a 39-year absence.

Swill fans be able to re-witness this instant classic on ESPN anytime soon? Nope, the contest in College Station wasn’t televised.