8 Things People Need to Stop Whining About in Sports

Jay Drowns/Getty Images

There are things about sports that will simply never change due to greed or a death grip on tradition.  Mostly, people want to yell and gripe about it instead of doing what is needed and that is boycott, especially with your wallet. 

Yet, fans and media can't seem to stop going on and on about how unfair it is or that it is time to get with the times.  These are the eight biggest complaints in sports that are calling on deaf ears.

Overtime in the NFL

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

While they have made some changes for the playoffs, it is still unfairly slanted toward the team that wins the coin toss.  Everyone wants it changed so that each team gets a turn (like college). 

The NFL has made this one clear, it isn't going to change overtime.  They give archaic reasons as to tradition, excitement, blah, blah, blah. 

They are sticking to their guns though, so people either need to stop watching or pipe down.

Division I College Football Playoff

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The college Presidonts hide behind tradition and the toll it would take on their student athletes.  When you point out that Division II schools have a playoff, they scoff at the notion and go on about how those are small programs without the pressure of big time programs. 

The majority of college football fans have been screaming for a playoff, yet they keep tuning into the BCS games.  Unfortunately, if you are going to keep watching then don't cry about the product not producing a true champion. 

Either turn the channel or shut yer trap. 

Dropping or Adding the DH in Baseball

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Dear Lord, the only argument that is older than the Designated Hitter is whether or not Shoeless Joe should be in the Hall of Fame.   Most people cannot remember why it was created or why the National League doesn't use it and the American League does.  Whenever it is brought up to Bud Selig, he rambles on about tradition and what not. 

The positive to the DH is that it extends careers and I like that.  The positive to no DH is that it becomes about good managing and strategy.  I like that too. 

Unfortunately, there seems to be no resolution in sight and the last time Baseball made a knee-jerk decision, the winner of the All-Star game got home-field advantage in the World Series.  Ask the Rangers how that worked out.

Letting Athletes Enter the NBA and NFL Straight out of High School

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Let me start by saying this: College sports would not be hurt by this.  They would still get a lot of talent.  Why?  Because only the best high school talent would be drafted.  Look at who was drafted when the NBA opened it up to high school players.  Not that many high school kids were taken and even fewer became superstars.  For every LeBron and Kobe there were two Kwame Browns and Eddy Currys. 

The argument is that the NBA and NFL use college as a farm league.  The argument both leagues use is that most high school athletes are not physically, mentally, or emotionally ready to play at the highest level. 

Unless, the NFL or NBA develop farm teams like Major League Baseball or the NHL, this will never change. 

Earlier Start Times for the World Series

Michael Heiman/Getty Images

I remember watching day World Series games.  I remember not having to stay up until midnight or later to watch a game.  Thanks to the almighty advertising dollar, that will never happen again.  In 2003, we had our first ever baseball game in November, and that was in part because of the game running past midnight. 

Tradition and nostalgia scream for just one or two day games...just on the weekends.  But the almighty dollar loves the prime time revenue. 

Tradition and nostalgia simply cannot compete.

Fan Voting in All-Star/Pro Bowl Games

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Fans get it wrong.  It is plain and simple.  They have voted outfielders on the 60-day DL onto All-Star squads and put QBs in the Pro Bowl on name alone.  These games are, simply put, popularity contests and half the time the players voted on don't go.

Thus, who cares?  The Pro Bowl doesn't count for squat.  In baseball, the league that wins gets home field advantage in the World Series.  The only thing they need to correct there is to remove "every team needs to be represented" rule.  Other than that, these games are for the fans. So let them vote.

The ratings are poor for these games.  What would happen if people stopped watching altogether?

Fighting in Hockey

Paul Bereswill/Getty Images

Fighting in hockey has been around since the idea was born to slap a disc around with some planks of wood.  While a hockey game can be exciting and tense (especially multiple overtime in the playoffs), the cherry on top of a game is the fighting. 

Many Red Wings fans can tell you the names of the goalies who fought at mid-ice in the famous Red Wings/Avalanche brawl, but not nearly as many could tell you who won the Conn Smythe for the Red Wings that year (Mike Vernon, by the way).

Still, the bandwagon fans scream about the fighting and how it needs to be banned. 

The NHL will take helmets away before they ban fighting. 

Expanded Instant Replay in Baseball

Bob Levey/Getty Images

Granted, there is limited replay (fair/foul and home runs) in the regular season and more in the playoffs, but the MLB refuses to institute it to the point that it could correct some verrrrry controversial calls.   Most agree it is needed for close plays (was a player safe or not) and not for balls and strikes.

The heads of baseball feel that baseball would lose its human element.   That the joy of baseball is going to a game and not having it interrupted with constant play stoppage to review calls.  That the games are long enough.  All of it is like a death grip on an outdated premise. 

That is exactly why it will never change until it costs a team a championship.

What all of these issues have in common is one thing:  They are controlled by the almighty dollar.  All of these issues were created or have remained due to the amount of revenue they created.  To put it simply, if you want change, stop giving them your support.

So unless you are going to boycott for change to happen, then do us all a favor and simply pipe down if you are going to continue to follow the lemmings off the cliff.   At least it will be a quiet fall.

Now go enjoy the Super Bowl.