Are the players dumb or just not coached?

Each year we are told over and over again how Baseball needs to shorten its games and speed up the pace and nobody who has watched a game the last 5 years would disagree. However the NFL and College are getting almost as unbearable to watch lately due to incessant penalty calls for the same stupid mistakes. Each and every game is bogged down tirelessly by the zebra huddling with 6 of his buddies and slowly walking over and saying “False Start, Offense- five yard penalty”! It’s becoming an epidemic of late and is only outdone by the constant calls on almost every kickoff and punt.   The Zebras throw seven flags and then huddle for two minutes to talk about the hot sideline reporter and announce there was a holding or a block in the back. At some point the NFL has to think outside the box and either change rules or just do away with certain plays.

False starts have become an epidemic in college and pro football. Week after week and game after game, these time killing penalties cause momentum to stop, zebras to huddle and suddenly all game flow is stopped. Three completions in a row with a no huddle offense suddenly it comes to a screeching halt. Coaches have been unable to simply discipline their players to hold their freaking stance or listen to the right snap cadence. At some point the NCAA and NFL need to decide if it is a coaching problem or just the fact these players are dumber than Fredo Corleone in a Havana night club. To quote the late great Fredo: “I’m smart! Not Dumb…..Like everyone says, I’m smart!” Isn’t it time for players, along with their coaches, to prove this? They should modify the false start and only call movement if a player is in a 3 point stance or in the alternative, make a false start a 15 yard penalty. Think about how many drives would end and how many coaches would be on the hot seat because they can’t coach their players to pay attention to the snap count. Please spare me the crowd noise excuse because there was much louder crowd noise years ago when every day working Joes could afford to go to games instead of wine snobs who buy a PSL and have no idea what a false start is. In addition, this might actually speed up the game and force coaches to actually CALL THE DAMN PLAY and to stop having this constant look to the sidelines and 20 seconds of audible changes prior to a snap. Either dumb it down so Fredo can understand it or make it so harsh that coaches will have to coach and have real consequences.

Kick Returns were once one of the most exciting plays in all of football and nobody wanted to miss an electrifying returner like Billy White Shoes Johnson, Eric Metcalf, Brian Mitchell or Devin Hester. Right now Hester’s record of 14 punt returns for a TD might be the most unbreakable record in sports. Each and every week we watch as a kick is returned, the receiver gets outside and the crowd roars and then you hear the announcer mention “Oh by the way, there are several flags down”. After a 3 minute delay, the call is holding on the receiving team or a block in the back.   An exciting part of the game has disappeared due to coaches unwilling to teach their players the most basic part of refereeing. Years ago my high school football coach taught a bunch of teenagers that there are numerous zebras out there with a different responsibility on each and every play. One ref checks for number of players, one looks for motion and formation, one looks at off sides, one looks for pass interference and others look at a myriad of other things as their designated responsibility. However, once a ball is kicked, all seven referees run down field and look for HOLDING and BLOCK IN THE BACK. They literally have no other responsibility once a ball is caught. Despite these overwhelming eyeballs looking for the same thing, players commit this several times a game and we are left watching zebras instead of the game. Since coaches do not want to teach these giant Fredo Corleone football players how to be smart, not like dumb, we would suggest they just do away with the kick and place the ball on 20 yard line on kickoffs. On punt returns have a rule that you must fair catch the ball and you get the ball 10 yards further from where you caught it.   At least this way there are fewer collisions, concussions and no worry of flags being thrown around like Mo Green at the Tropicana casino throwing out betting chips. In the alternative, the penalty for block in the back could be increased to 20 yards and holding to 15 yards. Perhaps do it from the spot of the catch instead of the spot of the foul so it’s so severe these college educated men might actually think twice? Maybe the coach might start teaching or even benching his habitual offenders who somehow believe 7 zebras will not see you holding guys shoulder pads?

It’s very sad that one of the most exciting facets of the game has deteriorated to this level of dumbness and has become the most boring part of the game.

-BSB