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30 FAN IDEAS TO IMPROVE THE NFL
Peter King is on vacation. Here are some ideas his fans sent in to make the NFL better that he edited before he left. We have removed the comments on some of them for space (by the way Tim DeLaney’s ideas for the 17th game could have been written by the DB):
My thanks to all of you for your thoughtful, reasoned ideas. Here they are, with brief comments:
from me:
New NFL Ideas I
No Kicking In OT from Ben Sharaf, Seattle
After the initial overtime kickoff, no punting, no field goals. The ball is turned over on downs only. Teams play until someone scores a touchdown, or 15 minutes and call it a tie.
17th Game Ideas from Tim DeLaney, Tempe, Ariz.
My idea is twofold: grow the game domestically/internationally and create a consistent and fair way to allocate the recently added 17th game.
Every team plays one neutral-site game (so eight home, eight road, one neutral-site).
Continue to schedule several international games: London, Mexico City, Munich, and let’s mix in some new locations each year such as Dublin, Barcelona, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto.
Here’s the twist, and a way to connect with casual U.S. fans who may be college football fans first:
Schedule the remainder of neutral-site games in traditional college markets (with behemoth stadiums)—Lincoln, State College, Clemson, Tuscaloosa, Tallahassee, Baton Rouge, Norman.
Think of what the “Winter Classic” has done to bring charm and nostalgia to the NHL. Imagine the Steelers and Eagles playing for bragging rights in front of 107,000 at Beaver Stadium. Let’s play a salute-to-service weekend matchup between the Bills and Giants in West Point.
Adopt Relegation – Troy Johnson, Orange, Texas
I do not enjoy watching soccer but after watching Ted Lasso, I love the idea of relegation. Relegation would have made the Hue Jackson and Brian Flores situations improbable in Cleveland and Miami. To make it work, the NFL would make the USFL the ‘Champions League’ and form a partnership. Leave the USFL team in Birmingham and put the other teams in cities without NFL teams. The USFL would play in the fall. The championship game will be played on a Saturday when colleges will be on their bowl break. Then the worst team or teams in the NFL would be relegated after the season, and the best team or teams in the USFL would move into the NFL.
King – I love it, Troy, but it’d never happen. NFL season-ticket holders expecting to see Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert on the schedule won’t pay for the no-names of USFL—and that’s one of about 63 problems standing in the way. But you’re right to say the threat of relegation would be motivating to the bad teams.
Cut Out The Flag-Waving – Steve Larson, Central Virginia
Let’s stop using the NFL as a military recruitment tool
Make Field Goals More Challenging – Joseph Loudon, Kansas City
The past two seasons NFL kickers made nearly two-thirds of field goals from 50 yards and beyond: 231 of 352 (65.6 percent). Kickers being this good is simply bad for the league.
Fans now expect kickers to be almost automatic from about 55 yards and in. The high drama in close games plunges when do-or-die drives need only reach the opponent’s 35 or maybe 40-yard line to set up a likely-to-be-made field goal as time expires. How do we make longer field goals tougher—more likely to be missed? Shrink the target.
(DB aside – why not narrow the goal posts for all kicks? Not just long ones (Loudon’s idea is a four-pronged fork goal post)
End Night Games At A Decent Hour – Michael Ruger, Mentor, Ohio
Move the kickoff for night games from 8:20 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Move The Super Bowl To Saturday Night – Rob Jensen, Voorhees, N.J.
I know the old school fans will clutch their pearls at such a notion since it had been referred to as Super Bowl Sunday for most of my 50 years alive.
Give Ownership 10 Years To Win – Bill Miller, Savannah, Ga.
I grew up in the fifties in Detroit. I have a proposal for a new NFL rule. If a team does not win a playoff game in 10 years, the team must be sold to another owner, or the NFL must step in and pick the next GM, similar to Pete Rozelle forcing the Giants to hire George Young as GM in 1979.
Cool idea, but it’s one lawsuit from one spurned owner away from being overturned.
Create A Fourth Sunday TV Window – Wes Smith, Yardley, Pa.
The idea is to create an 11 a.m. Eastern Time window and have a few games, maybe two to four games weekly, which would feature only Eastern or Central Time Zone teams. So instead of 1 p.m., 4:25 p.m., 8:25 p.m. for the windows, it could be 11 a.m., 2:15 p.m. (the new 1 p.m. time slot), 5:35 p.m., and push Sunday Night Football back 30 minutes, to 8:50. The idea of creating another Sunday window spreads games out, which gets more eyes on more games. Networks on their doubleheader weeks would instead get tripleheader weeks.
Tickets For Deserving Kids – Hank Zellman, Ohio
The NFL could purchase a block of, say, 20 to 25 seats in every stadium for every game and provide those tickets to underprivileged kids who would never get to a game.
New NFL Ideas II – Tanking Insurance – Jamie McIntyre, Braintree, Mass.
It is time to reward the teams that narrowly miss the playoffs. The teams just out of the playoffs should get the top picks. This approach rewards the attempt to win instead of the need to lose games to one day be competitive. Competitive franchises that are a notch below playoff contention should not have to sink to the bottom for a chance to rise to the top. Perennial bottom-feeders are likely in that position due to a failure in leadership at the top, which would also incentivize those teams to make changes. Stagnant leadership would also be limited under this plan, hopefully.
Return Training Camps To Campuses – Chris Fried, Philadelphia
There is something special about going to see an NFL team practice during the dog days of summer.
King – I’ve said for years that teams moving away from campus training camps is a blight on the NFL, and on the future for young fans.
Broadcast Replay Reviews In-Stadium – Richard Young, Camberley, England
Cricket and the NFL don’t appear to have much in common, but the cricket system for instant replay is really good. It’s based on the idea that the onfield umpire’s decision stands (“Umpire’s Call”) unless there’s obvious proof that the decision was incorrect. That’s not so different from what the NFL does. However, when a call is challenged, the entire review (including the conversation between the two officials) is broadcast live in the stadium.
Mandate Some Minority Ownership – Seyi Aiyebusi, New Orleans
Eliminate The Draft – Brian Cullinan, Wellesley, Mass.
The draft is no longer needed with the salary cap. Replace the draft with a one-week window when teams can offer contracts to incoming rookies. ESPN could televise the entire thing. It would allow players some choice in where they play while allowing bad teams to improve more quickly. The drama of the week would be amazing to watch. The players would have to weigh offers and make a decision around where they want to sign. Is money the number one factor? Opportunity? Do they all want to live in Miami? What about a solid organizational structure? It would be fascinating to watch.
King – Interesting, and I don’t hate it. But I do think it would be really hard for a consistent loser—Detroit, Jacksonville, say—to get the best player in the draft to come. Would Trevor Lawrence have chosen Jacksonville last year? I doubt it. Maybe it’s fair to do it this way for the player, but I also think it would promote a rich-getting-richer ethos in the league.
Adopt A Red Card—Sort Of – Keith Heisler, Palos Verdes, Calif.
The NHL power play is one of the most exciting fixtures in sports. Instantly, the style of play changes. Teams implement offensive and defensive strategies the fans wouldn’t otherwise see. For two minutes (or five for a major penalty) the power play injects the game with a nitro boost of offensive opportunities.
I propose the NFL implements a power-play penalty where a team is required to play a man down for some period. For example, a helmet-to-helmet hit that knocks a player out of the game or into concussion protocol for a few plays. A 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty (and a midweek fine) doesn’t seem like fair compensation for an illegal hit that takes out a team’s star receiver. What if the team causing the infraction had to play with 10 players for one play or until the other team got a first down?
King – I like this a lot, particularly on illegal hits. I’m going to make sure Rich McKay and the Competition Committee sees this idea.
The Best Teams Should Pick Playoff Foes – Andrew Stathulis, Ann Arbor, Mich.
[Higher-seeded] playoff teams should get to draft their opponent in the first round. The current system tries to reward the highest seeds by giving them matchups versus the playoff teams with the worst records. But record is not a perfect indicator of how good a team is. We saw this in the NFC this past year. In the first round, the Dallas Cowboys, the three seed, got the San Francisco 49ers, while the Los Angeles Rams, the four seed, got the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams, the lower seed, had an easier first-round opponent. Giving teams the ability to choose which wild-card team they play in round one is a more reliable method of rewarding the highest-seeded teams the most.
Make Any Play Challengeable But Allow Just One Challenge – A.J. Irbe, Sachse, Texas
Allow the Bill Belichick long-desired “anything is challengeable/reviewable” by instant replay, but only one per team per game. The drama of when to use that challenge would be really interesting. Would a coach use it to try to get a holding penalty on the other team that negates a touchdown in the middle of the first quarter? Or do all the coaches hold on to it until the fourth quarter when the stakes are the highest?
The Aaron Rodgers Rule – John Wagner, Champaign, Ill.
Rodgers is notorious for underthrowing guys for cheap pass interference calls or quick-snapping teams with too many guys on the field. My suggestion doesn’t pertain to those, but to the fact that he always is allowed to get plays off after the play clock has hit ZERO. To solve this, I would have the referee have a buzzer in his back pocket that goes off every time the play clock hits zero. Problem solved. I’m surprised they have not implemented it since it is an easy fix.
King – I bet 50 plays per season, easy, commence after the play clock is clearly at :00. So I like this idea.
Adopt A Fun CFL Rule – Brent Morgan, Midland, Texas
All backfield players can be in motion or, at a minimum, wide receivers can get a head start to the line of scrimmage like they do in Canadian football. This will likely create more confusion for defenders and require better schemes by coordinators of both teams. It would be fun to see what Kyle Shananan, Sean McVay or Andy Reid would create. Scoring would increase, I think, and the games would be more fun.
Let’s See The Whole Field – Mark Rodrigues, Fall River, Mass.
My idea is simple for every televised game: a wide-angle, bird’s eye camera shot for live broadcasts similar to a coach’s tape.
King – Now that’s a great idea, and it could be used, live, on a few plays every game, with replays showing the more common angles immediately after the play.
(DB – disagree. Too much wasted space on these shots. The ratio usually used still shows almost all the players)
Give Green Bay A Super Bowl – Joe Stillman, Staten Island, N.Y.
Another Idea For Game 17 – Matthew Rule, Portland, Ore.
Make the extra game special and buzzworthy, rather than just a regularly rotating non-conference opponent.
The slate of extra games should be hand selected by the league to draw interest and eyeballs, using specific themes and player matchups. Some games could feature area rivalries, with, for example, the Jets versus Giants battle for New York, Chargers versus Rams battle for SoFi. Another theme could be Super Bowl rematches … Patriots-Giants or Cowboys-Raiders. Using this method, the league could create opportunities for great matchups we otherwise don’t get to see often. If they want Josh Allen versus Aaron Rodgers but the Bills aren’t slated to play the Packers until 2025, no problem! Maybe they want one more bite at the Brady-Belichick apple, but the Bucs aren’t scheduled to play the Patriots till 2025. The NFL would have the power to create 16 monster matchups each season, however they see fit. Imagine, in the midst of schedule release mania, looking to see what “special feature” games were on the docket each year.
I’ve always been a fan of this, and have written as such.
(DB – Of course some of these “rivalry games” would be stinkers. If Miami-Tampa Bay is deemed the Florida game, who plays Jacksonville? If the Giants are playing the Jets and the Eagles the Steelers, who would the Patriots play?)
The Birch 18-Game Season Plan – Larry Birch, Warrenton, Ore.
There would be 18 regular-season games and two preseason games. No player could play more than 16 regular-season games. At the beginning of the week, for that week’s game, teams must list their eligible players from a newly expanded roster. Ineligible players would have the week off and would not be allowed to practice with the team. This would make an interesting coaching strategy. Most teams would use their best players for strongest divisional opponents.
This plan would do the following:
Prolong playing careers. Players would have two weeks off, at least, plus the bye.
Show what backup QBs can do in real games.
Give more players a chance at an NFL career.
Players with borderline injuries may be less likely to be pressured to play.
The players’ 16-game season records would be comparable.
The biggest downside would be that fans would not always get to watch their favorite players in every game.
King – This sounds a lot like the Peter King Plan from several years ago. I am bullish on this idea.
Bring Sanity To First-Down Measurements – Logan Scheuer, Milwaukee
My improvement idea for the NFL is regarding the first-down marker. I understand the chain gang is traditional and helpful to have sideline judges, but there have been instances where a pileup might make the spot tricky, or like the Packers’ first-down gain that ended their playoff game against the Seahawks in the 2019 season. The solution is from the football across the pond with a term called ‘Goal Line Technology.’
This technology is basically a camera tracking system in the stadium during games that keeps up with where the soccer ball is on the pitch throughout the game. In soccer, unlike football, the ball must cross the goal line entirely to be a goal—instead of simply breaking the plane. With goal line technology, the cameras track the ball and if there is any doubt if the ball fully crossed the goal line or not, it maps out the ball on a 3D image relative to the goal line. If it does cross the goal line entirely, an encrypted signal is sent to the referee on the pitch directly within one second through either a wristwatch or earpiece for an instant decision.
NFL teams have no lack of funding and can install the system (or one of the other forms of goal line technology) in each of the 32 stadiums. It would add clarity and decisiveness for the first-down markers, and even the end zone. This will cut down on the need for time-consuming replays and using coach’s challenges for the spot of the ball.
It’s very, very hard to argue with this logic.
Allow All 53 Players On The Rosters To Dress – Duane Smith, Elizabethtown, Ky.
In the name of safety, let all 53 men on the roster be active on game day.
I’ve never understood this rule [dressing 45]. They’re not saving any money by making players inactive. In cases of blowouts, you can rest some starters any get some inexperienced players some game time. Why have depth if you can’t use it?
King – It’s a foolish rule without reason. We agree.
Teams Should Have Real Specialists – Steve Blosch, Arlington Heights, Ill.
Why do NFL teams not use one of 46 active slots on a game day for a true specialist? I am thinking somebody in the 7-foot range, or taller. A person like that could serve dual purposes. One, the end-zone fade. From the 1-yard line or when going for 2, you toss the ball up and as long as the person does not have stone hands it seems to me like the fade would actually work more times than not. Second, long field-goal attempts. The ball is coming off low on 50-yard kicks or longer, and kickers have stronger legs than ever. Why not have a seven-foot person across the line of scrimmage from the kicker try to knock a ball down?
Add A ‘Weekend Of Legends’ – Jonathan Borne, Shawnee, Kan.
The league should make Week 3 or Week 4 of each season a “Weekend of Legends.” Hype it up! The NFL loves hype. Have each team wear a throwback uniform and invite the Hall of Fame and living legends from both teams appear at the game. Celebrate the game’s history all weekend long and connect the fans of today with the players of yesterday.
I had expected something like this during the centennial celebration of the NFL but it did not happen. As a second suggestion, I think that the NFL should create “natural rivalry” games between the NFC and AFC to be played every year just like divisional games are required (Giants-Jets, Cowboys-Texans, etc.).
King – It makes sense, Jonathan, but I’m not sure it needs to be on a single weekend.
Nip Away At The Time Of Game – Richard O’Hagan, Beaconsfield, England
There is no logical reason for the play clock to stop so often. There are now ample people on the sidelines to return the ball after an errant pass play and multiple balls per team anyway. It should not be necessary for the clock to do anything other than keep running except in a limited number of situations.
Obviously, a change in possession should require it to stop and also there can be no objection to a pause for officials to consult or for an injury. But the fact that an incomplete short pass causes it to stall is, at best, anachronistic and at worst counter-productive to trying to improve the broad appeal of the sport.
Make It ‘Instant’ Replay – Mike Gallagher, Boston
Let’s put the “instant” back in replay. The goal of replay should be to fix egregious errors like the missed Saints pass-interference call. My proposal is simple and embraces “instant.” Challenges and official reviews remain the same but in all cases the officials have 30 seconds to review the play. If they can’t see a major error right away then the play stands as called. Thirty seconds, right or wrong, then spot the ball and set the clock and GO.
King – I’m good with this. I’m not good with micro-analyzing replays seven times. |
