NFL Seeks to Speed up Games

This is a few days old, but I've been writing ahead to cover the blog this week while I'm on the road.

The NFL is worried about the length of games, which is a good thing. Much like baseball, the game has gotten way too long. It's very annoying when a game sails past 1 P.M. and we get cut-off at 4:15. I stopped watching SNF and MNF because I can never see the end.

I stopped watching the baseball playoffs this year for the same reason. I don't even start the games, I just live without it.

Anyway, the NFL is putting the onus on the refs.

The league hires professionals to calculate different variables each week—total plays, instant-replay reviews, injuries, penalties called—to project how long games should have taken. Refs overseeing contests that go over that specified time are graded down.

Interesting.

As scoring has steadily increased over the last three years, from an average of 41 points per game in 2005 to 45 through last weekend, it's a challenge for the league.

Each point adds an average of 43 seconds to a contest, according to league data.

Silly.

The NFL has also steadily cut the length of halftime by about 15 seconds in the past three years.

The Mets Police