Why Is The NFL Committee Still Working OT?

In what seemed highly unlikely among majority of NFL owners, the NFL Committee persuaded all but four in just a short few days to agree on passing the new OT Rule change.

The change is supposed to be a step in the right direction for the better of the game, the teams and the fans.

What an amazing turnaround on cooperation. Either it's just that simple, or maybe this NFL Committee should be running this country's more important decisions. 

Why the long process of advanced and over—scrutinizing of details as if it were trying to pass a united health care reform bill through Congress? This is just football after all.

Does the Competition Committee really need to fill their days up with something to do that badly?

The need to make a simple, long overdue OT rule change seemed to be a much harder process over the last decades than was needed.

Roger Goodell pointed out that this is not attempting to perfect anything, but a compromising step in the right direction as they were at least smart enough to leave the door open for future improvements.

I guess we all need some sort of job security in these times.

C'mon guys, this is just football were talking about here.

Have "the powers that be" in the elected leaders of this country really poisoned the way in which we process every simple and commonsense decision?  

I personally like the step forward towards what I feel is the right rule for OT in the NFL.

In fact, just about anything would be an improvement in comparison to leaving the winning score to rely more heavily on the flip of a coin.

Unlike the college playoff/championship system, I think the college OT rule is more in line with the right way of playing it on the field, with equal opportunity for both teams. Not perfect, but better.

Here's my take on what would be the best guideline for the NFL

1. 10 minute quarter for max allowable time (regular season only) with one timeout per team.

a) a regular season game would end as a tie if not won after that time limit.

b) playoffs, obviously continue until a team wins and start a new quarter.

2. Both teams get at least one possession to start the OT period. This gives both an opportunity to score no matter what with no altering the game rules from normal play.    

a) if the first team to get the ball scores a TD or FG, the other gets just one chance to meet it to continue play or beat it to win as both teams get at least one opportunity to equally win it or lose it with the chance to score and defend using all aspects of the game.   

b) this avoids losing the game without touching it if the opening receiving team happens to score a TD. 

c) coin-flip only factors first choice of who receives or kicks-off.

d) if a team receiving the first kickoff either fumbles or somehow loses the ball on a turnover  (including an on-side kick), or receives the ball and it's offense gives up a safety, all count as a possession opportunity.

3.  if neither team scores after their first possession opportunity or if its still tied, the first to score in any way from that point on wins..game over.

I believe this is the most simplistic and best guideline for a football OT rule and can put this issue to rest for good.

It takes absolutely nothing away from the normal aspect of the game and provides just as much or even more excitement.

Why the NFL needs to make small changes here and there to make it incomplete,complicated and alter the game is beyond me. 

It is the closest to perfect there is from my experience. I don't consider it a "discovering a new universe" science or concept, but maybe more people like me should be employed by the NFL or US Congress instead of a lot of the "rocket scientists" we have in place now.