Wags
by Len Wagner
Wednesday, November 29, 2000
"Erase the Flag Play"
OK, it was Monday Night Football so all, or at least most of you, saw the
painful squishing Green Bay's beloved Packers suffered. For all the week's
talk about how important this game was, the Packers were flat and
flattened. So much for all that motivation we talked about previously in
this space.
Once again, it brought the Packers back to reality. And even though the
players and coaches will continue to talk about the playoffs still being a
possibility, these guys are not stupid. They know their chances are about
the same as Scott Crevier beating Tiger Woods in a 9-hole match. It's
always possible, but. . .
So rather than dwell on "playing for pride," which we soon will be hearing
from Green-backed and Gold-laden Packers, lets take a look at a few things
about pro football in general that have nagged this humble correspondent
all season -- and, in some cases, even longer.
PASS INTERFERENCE -- This penalty is ruining the game. The flags are so
plentiful that many teams have incorporated the PI penalty into their
offense. Throw the ball deep and hope for a completion or penalty. Too many
times they get it. And if you have been able to figure out just what is
interference and what isn't and who is tagged with it, you deserve a
striped shirt of your own. I know, playing the ball -- which requires
seeing the ball -- is supposed to be the key. Seeing the ball, no flag. Not
seeing the ball, big penalty. But even this sort of enforcement hasn't been
close to consistent. The NFL must do something about this.
Of course, I have an idea. I believe the rules should allow any and all
bumping anywhere on the field. The flag is only thrown in the case of real
holding. This will force the receivers to make some great moves to get
free. It also gives the defensive back a realistic chance against the super
receivers. Of course, this might hamper the scoring that the NFL loves to
much. Also, it might set up two defenders against guys like Moss, bumping
him all over the place. So what? Two on one should loosen up some other
receiver. If the receiver can knock the defender out of the way and catch
the ball, great! Also great when it's the other way around. Just flag the
holding.
INSTANT REPLAY -- First of all, I don't like it. Think what instant replay
would be like in baseball or basketball with all the calls the officials
have to make. Just take the calls as they come: some you win, some you
lose. But the worst part of the current IP rule is that two-minute thing.
That's when some extra official sitting in the press box with access to
lots of replay monitors calls for the ref to make a second judgment. My
point is that I don't understand why this should be the rule in the final
two minutes of each half. Are these two minutes more important than any
other two minutes? A game is 60 minutes, not four. All sorts of things
happen in those other 56 minutes that, under analysis, have just as much
impact on the outcome as the plays in those four designated minutes. If you
are going to have instant replay, I believe the guy upstairs should make
the challenges all through the game and forget putting the responsibility
on the coaches, who can question only three times and risk a timeout at
that. Couldn't there be a fourth time when the officials make an apparent
mistake? The whole process makes no sense to me.
SHOWBOATING -- Put an end to it. It's that simple. So a guy gets a sack.
That's what he's paid to do. Do you see an offensive guard doing some sort
of dance after opening a hole for some running back to dive through
unscathed for a touchdown? No you don't. But the running back is bumping
and grinding through a neatly choreographed routine. It's ridiculous.
Oh, I have a couple more items. But I think I will save them while you
think about these. There are four weeks left in the season and maybe not a
whole lot else to write about.
But it is Bear Week. This is still the oldest rivalry in pro football. And
fun to look forward to.
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