A Super Bowl Overtime Would Be NFL's Worst-Case Scenario

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league competition committee is playing with fire.

They insist overtime is fine.

Imagine if Super Bowl XLIV was decided in the extra period without both the Indianapolis Colts or New Orleans Saints having the opportunity to touch the ball on offense.

It would be a worst-case scenario that would rival steroids in Major League Baseball, an NBA referee betting scandal, or the NHL locking out its season.

The Saints earned a trip to the Super Bowl after playing keep-away from the Minnesota Vikings, winning the NFC championship on a 40-yard Garrett Hartley field-goal as Brett Favre watched helplessly from the sideline.

The prospect of that happening Sunday night scares me. The NFL is too popular for such a self-inflicted wound like having Peyton Manning, possibly the most prolific passer of this era, not take the field in an overtime game with the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the line because he called heads instead of tails to kill the Super Bowl buzz.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the team that wins the opening coin toss to start overtime has won 54 percent of the games. Almost 70 percent of those were decided by a field goal.

An Advanced NFL Stats report concluded from the 2000 through 2007 regular seasons, there have been 124 overtime games.

In every single game except one, the team that won the toss elected to receive. And those receiving teams won 60 percent of the time. That's a relatively large advantage, particularly when compared to home field advantage.

The NFL's current sudden-death format can be exciting and lead to quick resolutions. But if almost 1 out of 3 games is over before the unlucky coin toss loser even touches the ball, a lot of teams and fans are going to be left with a bitter and empty feeling.

That is a situation no fan of the Super Bowl or pro sports wants to face if it happens.

It would be as damaging as a star player being knocked out of the championship game due to injury.

Goodell told the assembled media Friday in Miami that the league has been unable to find a better way to enhance the overtime system.

"I wouldn't hold your breath," Goodell said when asked if changes will be made down the road.

Better believe 100 million people will if the most important game of the NFL season comes down the bounce of a coin.