Guys like this need to find some other sport to follow. It ain't broke, it doesn't need fixing, the rules should be simple and clearcut and for the most part they are, and the worst things that have happened in the last decade are the rule tweeks that go beyond safety issues to impact the nature of the way the game is played in an attempt to make it more appealing to casual fans.
Felger had great tape yesterday of an interview with Mike Perriera in Miami. He asked a very leading question about whether the perception was correct that Polian essentially went whining to the Competition Committee in 2003-2004 because he wanted to gain an advantage for his finesse offense he felt the Patriots were beating up on. Mike said yeah, that was pretty much it. He said the league loves offense and believes it sells and Polian raised the issue based on his concern that defense was dominating and that wasn't good for ratings so he got his emphasis. Being on the committee allowed him to shape the game to suit his roster. Perriera also stated that it was wildly over-enforced for a couple of years but he thinks now it is settling down. He at one point reached out and barely touched Felger and said they were calling this and they never should have been but that's what happens when you initially place emphasis, officials over react. I bet that makes Ellis Hobbs feel better...
Mazz was stunned that Perriera would freely admit to this. But he's a football guy and he's retiring and Polian likely made his time as the Head of Officials a nightmare. He also told a cute story about BB. Said Bill came over to him at the combine a couple of years ago and said "you look like hell"... They talked about the job a bit and Bill said "I'm gonna call you" just to see how you're doing. He said sadly...he never did. But his point was Bill wasn't one of the guys who made his job harder. He never is. All Bill ever asks for is an explanation and consistency. They can do whatever they want to or need to rules wise. He won't ask for preferential treatment...or biatch about anyone stealing games from him... He respects the game and everyone who plays a role in it provided they by and large do their job.
Honestly, protect players knees to the best extent you can without hog tying the game. Protect their heads and spines at all cost. Other than that, let them play the game the way it was intended. Quit making JAG QB's look like the answer and double digit blowouts the goal. Make it about being smart and disciplined and strategic and matching up athletically and quit trying to script the game and seasons like some PC made for TV mini series.
Dirty pool is changing the game to placate/favor a particular audience or organization. You want to whine about an injustice, take a shot at how the competition committee is composed. They're like a bunch of supreme court justices with lucrative private practices on the side that benefit directly from their own decisions.
