Dazed and Confused, the new NFL overtime rules

The NFL owners passed new overtime rules this week, and I get it.  Why have the outcomes of a multi-billion a year business decided by a coin flip.  But if you are going to change something shouldn’t you change it for the better.

Let me run this past you.  The old NFL overtime was sudden death and the ball was first given to the team that won a coin toss.  In the new system whoever wins the coin flip can still receive the ball and if they score a touchdown they still win as if it was sudden death.  If team 1 kicks a field goal, then they get the points but still have to kick off to team 2 to see if they can score a touchdown.  If 2 scores a touchdown after 1 scores a field goal then 2 wins.  If 2 kicks a field goal after 1 has a field goal then 2 kicks off to 1 and 1 can win with any score.  If 1 doesn’t score on its first possession then 2 can win with any score. Safety is an automatic win.  After a turn over or a successful onside kick rules return to normal sudden death.  Oh yeah, if you aren’t confused enough already, the new rule only applies to the playoffs not the regular season.

 Say What????

So in summary, 2 points = win, 6 points = win, 3 points = it depends.

Here is the deal, if a guy who has been a football fan for two decades can’t understand this rule without a legal team reading it….. then chances are you don’t get it either.  NFL, you had been doing a good job, but lately I am really confused. New rookie salary caps, possibility of an uncapped year, players union and owners disagreements, there are even rumors flying around about a potential lock out, and this seems like a good time to change the overtime rules????? Not only rework them, but require a PHD to comprehend them. Hello?  If you want me to keep watching the NFL on Sundays (you know a weekend, family time), I need to be able to explain the rules to my wife.  If she doesn’t want to watch it….. well….. lets just say chances of it being on at my house go way down.  I am not trying to be over the top, or say that the NFL is moving down my sports priority list.  But the NFL is not entitled to my fan hood.  Last year the Brady rule (no hitting the QB below the waist, during a forward throwing motion) this year the Favre rule (new overtime), what is next????  The Cutler rule(after you throw 5 pics your 6th interception will be counted in the next available game in which the player does not throw at least 5 pics)

NFL, you have a good product; don’t screw this up by over thinking everything.  If you want to make changes keep them simple.  Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

Thanks for the read.