The year was 1948.
Legendary football coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant, then the head coach at the University of Kentucky, was asked about his team’s 7-7 tie with LSU.
“I don’t like ties,” Bryant quipped. “It’s like kissing your sister.”
Boy, ain’t that the truth.
So after watching the Packers and Cowboys play to a 40-40 tie on Sunday night, I say it’s high-time we end these incestuous NFL overtime rules. Let’s simply play until there’s a winner.
They do it in every other sport at every level. As far as I can tell the NFL is the only organization that doesn’t have to declare a winner during regular-season play. Even hockey and soccer have changed their overtime rules so that somebody comes out a winner. I’m not a huge fan of shootouts to decide the victor, but it’s better than kissing your sister and the game ending in a tie.
Players don’t like ties. Coaches don’t like ties, and most important, us fans don’t like ties. We want a winner declared, even if it’s not our team. People on the East Coast, especially Packers and Cowboys fans, were forced to stay up well past midnight only to watch Sunday night’s Prime Time game end in a tie.
So what’s the solution?
How about going the route of college football. If an NFL game is tied after regulation, have each team start at the opposing team’s 25-yard line and go from there. A team would get four downs to get 10 yards and a first down, and if they can’t do that, they’d have the option of kicking a field goal. If they make the field goal, the other team then gets the ball at the 25-yard line with the opportunity to kick a field goal to tie the game and force a second overtime or score a touchdown to win the game.
I’ve seen a couple of great college games go four or five overtimes before a winner is declared. Riveting stuff. Watching two NFL kickers make 40- or what is now a 50-yard chip shot is boring.
Just give me winner. That’s all I’m asking, even if it’s not my team on the winning side.
I understand that the NFL is a vicious and violent game, but the players know full well what they’re signing up for and are well-compensated for putting their bodies at risk.
I hear there’s talk of the NFL adding another game to the regular season making it an 18-game schedule.
How about you fix the silly overtime rules first so that no one has to ever kiss their sister again!