The 5 dumbest rules in sports

1. The fact that pass interference and force-outs aren't subject to instant replay review in the NFL because they are "judgment calls." First of all, why aren't the rules for pass interference more clearly defined and recognized? It seems way too arbitrary and different depending on which officiating grew got up on which side of the bed, wore different pairs of socks, and ate different cereals interpret what does and does not constitute pass interference. On top of this, why is an official's initial opinion of a play that just happened at 742.91 miles per hour while the official was thinking more about the itch on his left arm than the game at hand infallible? The reason instant reply took so long to implement in the first place and still has absurd quirks is that NFL referees stubbornly refuse to ever admit they were wrong. As for force outs, these are clearly defined enough that instant replay should be able to give these plays justice.

2. No instant replay in baseball. When I saw him speak at Hillel a few months ago, Bud Selig stood sternly by the absence of instant replay but failed to give a single rational reason. Why does the tradition of human umpires trump getting the call right? It is like in Bridge when a 2 beats an ace because the 2 is trump or in euchre where a 9 trumps an ace. The only difference is that the absence of instant replay in baseball is utterly irrational and doesn't fit with any of the other aspects of new technology that have evolved into baseball. It would not be that difficult to make fair/foul, out/safe, and home run/double subject to replay, giving the managers two challenges a game.

3. Overtime in the NFL. The NFL should adopt the college football overtime procedure because it is really annoying when a team only has to drive 40 yards and kick a 45-yard field goal, for some reason achieving the sudden death victory. No team should be able to get away with that on the first drive in overtime with no fear of rebuttals. It completely trivializes the entire game that was so close it needed extra time to allow it to perpetually end in a lame, unsatisfying manner. Buzzkill.

4. Whatever random loophole in an obscure rule that allows Evander Holyfield to continue fighting. Is there really any demand to see this anywhere in society? Who still watches these fights and who still sponsors them? If I ran a television I would pay for the rights NOT to air these fights.

5. The rule that allows a college basketball coach to get one team on probation and then get hired by another school and bolt to avoid the clean-up process for the mess he created. This might be more ridiculous than Evander Holyfield fighting. So many of these coaches preach education and discipline but end up as corrupt role models who are more self-interested than anything else.

Ramblings

I spent a majority of the day watching the NFL today (sorry poli sci) and here are some of my quick thoughts:

That NFL shop commercial where the Vikings fan and the Bears fan keep trying to one-up each other with the gear they bought really annoys me. The reason that I find this commerical aggravating is not because the fans are petty and materialistic because I am petty and materialistic--the commercial culminates with the Vikings fan winning the "contest" by showcasing his 30-foot inflatable Viking. This is when the caption comes on the screen that this inflatable Viking is not available for sale. What? Isn't the point of the ad to show that you can one-up your obnoxious neighbor by buying cool gear online? If you can't buy the product that causes you to be superior then what exactly is the point of the commercial? If you followed its directions and bought your NFL gear through them then you would lose the contest and your neighbor would reign supreme.

Unless the Bears switch to Brian "Look at me I'm mediocre" Griese, they will not beat Seattle or Dallas in the playoffs. I have watched a majority of the Bears games this season and Rex Grossman is an unbelievably bad quarterback. He isn't even worthy of the backhanded compliment of "game manager." Jake Plummer and Brett Favre think that Grossman's decision-making is questionable. I know that the Ravens and Buccaneers won championships with mediocre quarterbacks but they didn't turn the ball over nearly as much as the Bears do.

There was another new Peyton Manning commercial on TV today...something about some new revolutionary TV that is made for both men AND women or something. I find all these Peyton Manning commercials intriguing because I don't know too many NFL fans who actually like him. I feel like this is the sports equivalent of Donald Rumsfeld in commercials--why make someone who is polarizing at best the face of your product?

Joe Buck needs to fire his barber.

I'm ready to admit I was wrong. Vince Young will be a very good NFL quarterback.



MY thoughts on BCS games
Boise State - Oklahoma
While both of these teams definitely deserve to be in the BCS and are great stories, I can't say that I will watch this game unless I am already watching TV and nothing else is on. In other words, I won't plan my day around it. Had Rhett Bomar not been kicked off the Sooners, I feel like they would be in the national championship game against Ohio State.

Wake Forest vs Louisville
It's kind of ironic that BC, Miami, and VA Tech left the Big East for the ACC to be in a better football conference and this year the Big East was actually better. Just out of spite, I hope that Louisville wins by 39 points. That being said, this match-up really isn't all that interesting and I probably won't watch this game.

Ohio State vs Florida
This is a cop out by the voters because it causes less controversy than a Michigan - Ohio State rematch. I honestly have no idea whether Florida is a better team than Michigan and there is really no way to find out. The best case scenario in favor of the end of the absurd BCS "system" (I refuse to call anything that relies on arbitrary judgment a system--its about as much of a system as Russian Roulette) is an Ohio State blowout. Michigan inadvertently hurt itself by not playing these past two weeks. However, I'm not really going to pile on the BCS system. Yet...

Wisconsin vs LSU
I'm really excited for this match-up. When I decided to go to Wisconsin (not that any other schools accepted me) it was in part because of the possibility of a BCS bowl birth. Both of these teams have had tremendous seasons that merited taking place in the game. Oh wait. Wisconsin isn't in this game. Notre Dame is. The BCS has a rule that prohibits three teams from the same conference from being in the BC$. The reason that this rule is complete bullshit is that Notre Dame is not in a conference and therefore cannot be adversely affected by this rule despite the fact that Auburn and Wisconsin are far more merited for the spot. Sweet.

USC vs Michigan
If Ohio State and Michigan win by a combined 40 points the BCS might fall. This gamer really isn't that intriguing because USC really has not looked all that spectacular to me (two losses against unranked teams and marginal victories against several others)