Although I cannot take credit for this idea, I heard a good one lately--the Super Bowl should be played on a Saturday. Given there are two weeks between the conference championships and the big game, 13 days, instead of 14 days, between the games is more than enough. Younger children will be able to watch more of the game if there is no school the next morning, and we getting-older types who don't stay up past 9:30 will also get to watch the game. AND....you have all of Sunday to recover from your hangover instead of taking it into work with you on Monday.

Michael Heckman
Albemarle County, VA

If we were only talking about cold I could agree with the No Football Stadium Should Have a Roof rule. However, I live in Phoenix and I would rather sit through the Ice Bowl that sit in an outdoor stadium in Phoenix in September when it 110 outside and 130 inside.

I had to resist the urge the jump up and cheer reading Jimmy's first 4 entries, especially regarding covered football stadiums. Where I strongly disagree, however, is regarding the clock as it relates to football (college, pro, or otherwise). First, I'm not bothered by football games that last 4 hours, particularly if I've paid good money to see one at the stadium. I realize I may be in the minority here. BUT, more importantly, if there's one thing I hate in the game of football (other than domes and artificial turf), it is the fact that a huge part of the game of football is... not playing football. Standing around while the clock runs out is not football. I think the game clock should stop after every single play. Keep the play clock, mind you, so the action keeps moving. And heck, make the quarters 12 minutes instead of 15 minutes if you must. But stop rewarding teams for their ability to stand around doing nothing on the field late in a game.

I would like to see a "Fan Appreciation" weekend at every Major League ballpark the last homestand.....general admission only for ALL seats...no season tickes sold for these last two games. No internet or phone sales just box office only...that way us blue collar fans could camp out and actually have a shot at some primo seat once a year without having to be drilled by a scalper...excuse me...authorized ticket re-seller.

Fans not only should be allowed to move to better seats, they should be encouraged to do so. We all know the corporate suits with the seats behind home plate don't care who wins or loses. Let a real fan back there for a true home field advantage.

"1. No football stadium should have a roof" - Apparently you've never been to an Arizona Cardinals game at the beginning of the season. 120 on the field is too hot and sitting next to some over indulgent, hotdog eating, beer guzzling, yelling, sweating (I'm temped to put wife in here, but I won't) football fanatic is rough. We're looking forward to seeing football without killing ourselves in the heat.

1) Lets change the NFL TV rules. Everyone should get to watch 2 games at 1pm and 2 games at 4pm. If your a fan of the team in your home market your gonna watch that game, plus you'll get additional viewers who care about the other game.

2) Move up the start time for NFL games from 1pm to noon or 12:30pm. How many times do you get a team down by 3 with 30 seconds left on the 5 yard like then they preempt the game for the home team. Complete crap.

3) Move the Superbowl to northern Canada. Everyone loves games in the snow!

4) The team with the better spring training record gets home field in the world series. Hey its just as stoopid as having it based on a single exhibition game!

5) Bring back the shootout at the end of regular season MLS ties. Anyone else care?

# 10 - Legalize Gambling.

Well maybe - but the leagues should have enough fore sight to run free internet fantasy pools. Not just the little contests they run - free massive pools; Head to Head; rostiere (spelling) etc.

I know leagues are desparate to soak every last red cent out of the fan base - but free internet pools would cost little to run and certainly keep the fan intereset up in all areas of the game.

For prizes they could offer free game tickets. Somehting simple.

It seems to me that there is no arena of fan enjoyment that is free; the leagues woul do themselves a huge favor by currying to the average fan a little.

While I understand the sentiment of having seats surrendered at a certain point in a game, that idea is so half-baked it is laughable. It would create safety problems to the point you'd need to have an usher for every 2-3 fans. Can you imagine the rush for the two seats open behind home plate as the third out is recorded in the third innning? It would be a mob scene. And what would make it wonderfully comedic is the look on the poor older couple's face when they got back from the restroom to find a mosh pit where their seats used to be.

1) In football, make the play clock during the last 4 minutes of each half 25 seconds instead of 40 seconds. This will end the practice of teams running out the clock and create an intense fast-paced end to many games with a better chance for come from behind victories.

2) Also in football, make any field goal less than 20 yards worth only 2 points. This will make some teams opt for a 4th and goal TD rather than settle for a field goal.

3) Make the Stanely Cup 1 game. This will add a Superbowl like feel to the game and attract much needed ratings to the NHL.

I just have to agree with Heckmans's idea about the Super Bowl being on a Saturday. I have thought that to myself many times, mostly at 8 in the morning when Im at my desk popping Advil and vowing never to drink again.

Disagree with #3 no neutral sites. Build one stadium in Vegas for the Super Bowl and hold there every year. New Englanders love to travel...

Jimmy
For one (mandatory participation by top 150)golf tournament a year:

1. There would be 150 identically equipped golf bags(balls,clubs,tees,etc.) in line at the pro shop that each pro would pick up at sign in and drop off to be tested after each round. Players would be disquailified for any alterattions.
2. It would be played at a public access muni complete with unsanded divots, and unrepaired craters on the greens. Greens would run about 6 1/2 to 7 on the stimp meter.
3. Heckling would be allowed and encouraged. How is that any different from a basketball player at the free throw line in a hostile arena.
4. Hidden microphones would be placed all around. (wouldn't it be great to hear things like "miss it", "want a little chili with that dip?" or "does your wife play too" from some of those dial tones out there?
5. Players would be allowed to dress however the wanted.
6. Winner take all purse. Size of purse would be based on gate.

Thank you for the forum.
Greg, Shreveport, La.

1) Shorten the NFL preseason to two games, lenghten regular season by three weeks (two extra game, and a second bye week).

2) Shorten the MLB season to 100 games...who would miss the other 62?

3) The league with most wins in interleague play get home field advantage in the World Series.

A few thoughts:

1. Can we please get rid of the outdated college football rule that you are down, without contact? I know it was originally put in to protect players but these athletes have evolved in shape, size, atheleticism, as has the equipment. Is there anything worse than seeing a college running back make a cut, find open field, but his knee touches the turf and he is down? How ludicrous.

2. Move the 3 poointer back in college basketball. It has become a complete joke and has changed the game immeasurably.

3. No more fair catches in any level of football. Either catch it or leave it go.

4. Eliminate all offensive formation penalties. A team should be able to line up however they want to get a play done. Let the defense deal with it. I'm tired of a penalty called because a wide receiver is not at the line of scrimmage. What advantate does that pose for the offense? Let them play.

5. Put the old regulations back in place for recording a true "save" in baseball. Coming in up by 2 with an out to go and nobody on is not a save...it is a gift to the pitcher's statistics.

6. And first and foremost.....PUT IN A REAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS!

I totally agree with the seat upgrade idea. Why can't I move up? Those seats were already paid for and the game is half over, why can't I move up?

Also, having a roof in AZ for the Cardinals will be the best thing ever, finally, we can have a home opener when it's 110 outside.

One more: require all stadiums designate 50% of their sections be alcohol free with immediate ejection for violators. The people who are interested in just the game shouldn't have to sit next to drunken fools or have their sight lines spoiled by the constant trips to acquire and dispose of beer.

Great ideas! I especially love the no NFL roofs, no neutral sites for the Superbowl. Games in inclement weather, especially snow, are awesome. I was 8 months pregnant on January 2 sitting in the snow watching a Patriots game. Life couldn't have been better!

Hey Greg, Shreveport, La.

The heckling comment would be "does your husband play too"
you get a C for trash talking... Great blog Jimmy!

#1 LOVE IT!

#2 NO WAY! You can't put roofs on baseball stadiums, it would totally kill the atmosphere of the game of baseball. Imagine the wind not blowing out at wrigley, or not being able to see the arch in St. Louis or the river in Pittsburgh, or Barry's roid-shots bouncing off some back wall. We wouldn't get to see the kayak wars in the bay!

#3 The superbowl is intense already. As much as I would love to see a superbowl played outside in a Green Bay blizzard or a Seattle monsoon, the superbowl is about the best team, not the best team/stadium

#4 LOVE IT! and also no more advancing the ball to half court in the NBA

#5 Like it alot. There should be continuity between college and pro sports whenever possible. Clock stoppages create a completely different game. Same with the college 3-point line

#6 Not really that big of a deal, but i will say this, If you're going to say something, say it, and thats it. No more transitions where it sounds like a 747 flew over my house and on the screen i see what appears to be some giant scaffolding fly across my screen all in order to show me what Terrell Owens likes on a hot dog.

#7 LOVE IT! Also, no more minor conference referees officiating major conferences in college. Michigan Nebraska anyone???

#8 Just can't get rid of all star games. But some changes can be made to the entire all star weekends

MLB, have some kind of pitching skills contest, akin to the NHL's sharpshooter contests.

NFL, Mic every player on the field. This is the hardest one to fix because it can't be in the middle of the season. This is where new cameras, mics, and other media tools should be unleashed. The mic thing goes for all other sports too, why not?

NBA, get the best dunkers!! I'm tired of watching 2nd rate stars in the dunk contest.

If all else fails, pay the winners more money, that seems to be all that motivates nowadays, so take some of the losers salary and give it to the winners. Also, If you get selected to be on an all-star team, you should be REQUIRED to make an appearance, or else you get fined.

#9 oooo this is a tough one, I was just at a baseball game and the same thing happened to me, it rained, everyone left, beautiful first base line seats were just begging for someone, and no one could use them. Instead I was stuck behind a pole. But, in light of what was said by another guy on here, You cant do this, or else it would be a race and fight for those seats.

#10 Absolutely not. Gambling not what sports are about. Kids lives are shaped by these games. Also, think about how many player gambling scandals there would be if there were no rules against it???


my own amendments

#11 Cut down on all the in-between inning displays at baseball games. I get it, the ball is under hat #3, The song of the day is footloose, and its the birthday of 296 people at the ballpark today. How about some in game stats, or even better, updates from around the league?

#12 There should be as much football as possible on TV in the fall. I love thursday night college games. Leave friday for highschool. Other than that, put it on TV! I saw a few wednesday night games this past fall, a pleasant surprise on a normally boring day of the week.

#13 I'm not gonna touch the Div. 1-A playoff issue, but the 1-AA, 2, and 3 playoffs should be expanded by a week, give more teams a chance. If you have to shorten the season, do so, but imagine NCAA tournament style competition plus the football atmosphere

#14 Have some respect for the competitors. I understand how powerful the shot of Woods with his wife after the British Open was, but did the camera have to be within 3 feet? Give him some space.

#15 Be quicker to punish schools for low academic achievement. It is college athletics. make the kids actually go to college.

#16 think i may have heard this one on si.com, but penalize MLB clubs for not spending money. If steinbrenner has to pay all that money, the marlins should have to use it! (although they do have a better record post-allstar game than the whitesox)

#17 Last fall I got to watch the training camp for VT's football team. Wonderful! Show more of this, for every sport. Of course do what needs to be done to keep the necessary secrecy of a practice, but let the people see what these kids go through, not just game 1 to game 12, but the weeks before hand as well.

#18 No more penalty kicks to end soccer games. Take players off the field for both teams, make more space. Dont let a team sit back and get outplayed and squeeze into overtime because they had 6 defenders and then win because some shot went off the post. That's not soccer

#19 Reserve a section of prime seats for box office purchase only, all year long. Find any way to let the real fans get to the game, not the suits

#20 Let kids out on the field before a game to field batting practice, rebound shots, or throw the pigskin around a bit

Here's my biggest pet peeve: in the NFL, the score-commericals-kickoff-more commercials should be banned. Don't these guys take in enough money without having to cram an extra commercial break in between the extra point or field goal and the next play from scrimmage? It drives me crazy every time!

Don't get rid of All-Star games, just change the format.
In the pre-expansion NHL (I'm talking about the 60s and earlier) the first game of the season was the prior year's champions against the all stars from the other teams. It was no "all-offense, no hitting" party like today, it was a serious grudge match. That is an All-Star game I'd like to watch.

The NHL must get rid of the "overtime loss" category. Nobody should get a point for losing, and how stupid is it to say "Hey, my team is 24-16-11-8!". In fact, they should also get rid of ties. Do penalty shots or play 2-on-2 if they have to.

I support the Saturday Super Bowl concept. But let's take it one step further. Super Bowl Weekend - best 2 out of 3. Have games 1 and 2 on Friday and Saturday, and if necessary, game 3 on Sunday. We would all get the weekend party we want, and the Sunday game might get even bigger TV ratings - if that's possible.

Lessen the number of TV timeouts in NFL games. I know that this would never happen for financial reasons, but is so annoying to go to a commercial right after a kickoff.

How about in baseball. Once you step foot in the batters box, you can't get out. There is no need to adjust your batting glove on EVERY pitch. This would speed up the game

The Superbowl should be hosted in the stadium of the team with the better record, or it could be switched back and forth betweeen conferences each season. The cities and the fans of northern towns deserve better than what has been given to them. Why should only the same southern cities get the economic boost of hosting a Superbowl over and over again?

I would like to see the NFL 2 point conversion rule changed. I would prefer it to be from the 3 yard line and not have to be announced. Down by 15 in the fourth quater score a touchdown you can fake the extra point kick and run it in for 2.

Bad snap, and by some miracle you still manage to get the ball in to the end zone and you only get one? It should count for 2.

NCAA BBall Tournament - Why do they play the championship game on Monday night? Inevitably you get the best basketball games of the year in the semi-finals because the teams are well prepared and well rested. Monday night they are still tired and have not had proper time to prepare.
During the second weekend, play 4 games on Thursday and Friday and 2 on Saturday and Sunday. Then the championship game is played the following Sunday. That way the finals will have the best chance to be the best games of the year.

Why change stopping the clock after a first down in college football, are you really looking to get back to life after the game, you wait all week for the game, I can think of nothing better than a college football game, the longer it last the better.

No - No - No!!!!
three nixes on comments!

First - Sorry to the guy that says penalty kicks aren't soccer. That's how it's worked forever. Only MLS weirds out those rules. DEAL WITH IT. Now, I don't think that the golden goal (sudden death) should've been revoked.

Second - On the SuperBowl...The magic of SuperBowl Sunday is just that-two teams in One team out. Give your all on one day after a long season. That's what kills all other sports-series that should've been over in one game, or flukes of teams playing three great games and then falling apart in the last four.

Last - Cities all over the US deserve to see SuperBowls. Not just Championship cities. Kill the BEST RECORD idea, but put more cities in to the mix.

Imagine a SuperBowl at Lambeau- WooWee!!

Baseball season should be drastically shortened. The sport is dull to begin with, and then 162 games of it -- ugh.

There should only be one week between NFL conference championships and the superbowl. This is a no-brainer. The teams always cool off and the game is never very satisfying. I agree with no neutral site, also. Everybody knows that the best games of the year are the conference championships, anyway -- think about it.

The NHL changes that were made before this season were all brilliant. I know that there aren't as many hockey fans as for football and baseball, but NHL hockey completely rocks nowadays. Fans who like to see maximum effort and competitiveness, and a lack of the systematization that has made NFL and MLB dull, should check out some hockey action.

Advertising/commercials should be done like they are in the World Cup. Only during intermissions. Why after every punt return, every single timeout in basketball, pitching change, puck out of play, etc. do we have to completely leave the game and see another commercial about how I can save on car insurance? Put a logo in the top corner, even play a commercial in a little pop-up box, but at least keep the game on. Even if its just watching a huddle, showing a replay, etc., it completely kills all interest every time a network cuts out to commercials. I know that's where revenue comes from and that's all sports are about these days, but there's a better way to do it. They do it for the World Cup, so figure something out.

Get rid of the off side rule in soccer. I feel that it disrupts the flow of the game. So what if the team has an advantage. My comment back to that is why isn't the defender back there as well.

Make all college sports better and abolish the NCAA.

You can only go to the better empty seats at the stadium after the 6th inning or 3rd quarter is complete. And you'd better tip the usher!!!

Rain checks for stadium parking. Got busted TWICE for this this season!

All NFL bye weeks between weeks 7 and 10. Playing 2 games and then a bye is stupid. And a bye in week 13 could be too much of an advantage for a team that has injured players coming back.

Four games (2 early, 2 late) on Turkey day. Let Detroit and Dallas keep the tradition
and rotate the other two to everyone else.

Super Bowl Saturday has a terrific ring to it!!!

Major Bowl games Jan 1 - that's it!

Love the idea about the Super Bowl on a Saturday Night...The Saturday Night Playoff Games are a huge hit with the fans and the NFL should follow through with this for the Championship Games and the Super Bowl....For baseball Fox should start all Playoff and World Series games at 8:05 Eastern Time...They come on the air at 8 PM but the first pitch usually happens about 8:43 PM...Then the game finally ends about 12:52 AM...And most people in the East have to wake up to see who won the game..Fox is a joke with all of their Sports Coverage....

Here's two rules I'd add:

1) Remove the puppetmaster from behind the jumbotron. I don't need to be told when to Scream, and I don't need to hear We Will Rock You at 140 decibels. Just show the score, the clock, and let the fans do the cheering.

2) Start using Minor League Baseball giveaways in the Majors. Who wouldn't want to see A-Rod being labelled as the Waffle House Strikeout Victim, where if he strikes out, every fan gets a free Waffle?

Get rid of those stupid safety nets behind the goals at hockey games. Yes, it's unfortunate what happened in Columbus and I mean no disrespect, but come on. One person dies in over 100 years of hockey and suddenly it's a hazard to sit behind the nets. And while we're on hockey, get rid of that dumb trapezoid behind the net and just make the goalie "fair game" when he leaves the crease. Now he can play the puck anywhere, but at his own risk. And you know fans would be on the edge of their seats waiting for a goalie to get creamed. I'm tired of the goalies being untouchable. They're not made of glass, only Eric Lindros is.

Show the scores in boxing. It would be nice to see a fighter down by 5 points or so in the 8th start swinging for a KO since it's his only chance of winning.

Shorten the play clock in the NFL. To easy to QB-kneel out a game at the end. 40 seconds to call a play? Too long!

Ok, here are my ideas...

1) I agree that there should be no penalty kicks in soccer. Make them play until there is a winner. Could make some interesting drama when players can barely walk anymore.

2) Kickoff out of bounds should not go to the 40 yard line. There has to be a better way to address the issue than this gift.

3) I do like the alcohol free zone in stadiums idea. I can generally deal with drunks, but soon I will be taking my kid to games and I dont need to deal with obnoxious if not dangerous drunks.

4) Eliminate the ineligible receiver down the field rule. Just because the lineman was told to count to five and release is not reason for a penalty.

5) Limit substitutions of pitchers. I am sick of seeing a pitcher brought in to just deal with one hitter and then he is subbed out. No more than 3 pitchers for a game.

6) no more quieting down for tennis. If it needs to be played in absolute silence, its not a sport.

7) And across the board for all sports, rather than team salary caps, there should be player salary caps and it should be reasonable. I think the reason fans are getting more violent is because the players are making 30 million a year and we are spending everything we have to attend a game. This would keep ticket prices down and show us who really cares about the game vs. the paycheck. No more than 5-10 million a year for anyone (its more than I will ever make, so they dont get to complain)

#1. There is no way in hell any NFL player could play more than one game in a week. The idea of playing 2 out of 3 is utterly rediculous.

#2. I want all the Arizona fans who complain about the hot weather to shut up. Hot or cold the rule of thumb for football is "Just deal with it". No wonder you guys can never fill your stadium. No real football fans actually care what the weater is like. It's all part of the atmosphere of the game.

#3. A true college championship playoff system is the best idea in the whole article. Everyone knows the BCS is crap.

The NHL must get rid of the "overtime loss" category. Nobody should get a point for losing, and how stupid is it to say "Hey, my team is 24-16-11-8!". In fact, they should also get rid of ties. Do penalty shots or play 2-on-2 if they have to.

Agree with the getting rid of OT losses category, but ties ARE gone, chief. That was one of the major changes to this season.

And to the people who talk about reducing the baseball schedule, heck no! Especially to the person who suggested 100 games. You'd be taking out more than 2 months of the season!

Besides, its regular + postseason only goes from April to October (7 months) compared to the NBA's and NHL's October to June (9 months). How about cutting those down instead?

Two things
#1 -- Football -- change rule that player must be in bounds and across goal line for touchdown not just the ball. If a player is falling out of bounds then play is dead and not touchdown.
#2 -- basketball -- change rule that player must be inbounds and possession of ball before calling timeout and not falling out of bounds and calls timeout

I agree with the team with the best record getting the Superbowl at their staduim. I think it is crap that only the "hot weather places" like Miami and San Digeo or domed stadiums like Houston get the super bowl. Would it not be fun to have a snowy SB in a place like Denver, New England or even Green Bay? What a Super Bowl those would be

#2. I hope this happens someday, it would be great to be guaranteed that when you spend so much money on tickets, that the game will definitely be played that day. Plus you don't have to worry about buying tickets and suffering through bad weather when the game isn't called.

#4. I don't watch college basketball, but this would be a definite plus in the NBA. Watching the end of NBA games, even really close ones, is frustrating because of the number of time outs. The games start late enough already in the playoffs, no need to further drag them out.


#6. I agree, especially on those stations which take up half the screen advertising whatever TV series happens to air on that station. Keep commercials during commercial breaks, and make the score boxes smaller.

#8. I've always had this theory about what the All-Star weekend should be. I personally think the best thing about the All-Star weekend is the skills competitions, especially the NHL version. Let the players compete in different drills and mini-games, instead of the exhibition game. Plus the autograph/photo session is a great idea.

Other ideas:

- Limit the number of commercials during NASCAR races! Sometimes it seems like there are way more commercials than laps shown.
- Mike the players more often, in any sport. Then pick out the best bits, and play them on the air.

Golf related:
1. No viewers calling in penalties in golf. Officials can call penalties after a scorecard is signed, but only for infractions. None of the "its not your name on the scorecard" thing. I understand this can only apply to pro tournaments where there are official scoreres, so be it.

2. The PGA Tour should require all players to play every tournament once in every four years (this is one thing that the LPGA has right).

3. Ban cameras and camera phones from courses. If anyone sneaks in a camera, the organizers should be entitled to confiscate it and throw it out.

I disagree with comment #3: The team with the best record should NOT host the SB. A neutral site is fair b/c teams' schedules are so uneven/unbalanced. For example, the winner of the almighty NFC East might be the best overall team in football (and the NFC representive in the SB, but due to fierce competition, have only 11-12 regular season wins. On the other hand, the winner of the AFC might have more wins due to weaker division and conference scheduling (Imagine the Colts playing the AFC East and their own weak division).

Further, don't you know that most of the fans in attendance at the game aren't die hard fans anyway? A good percentage of the attendees are corporate suits who were given tickets from their companies or rich folks who travel to the game just for the entertainment.

All that being said, other cities should be in the rotation to host the game. If we can have a SB in Detroit and Jax, we can have one in NY, GB, Chicago, etc.

Here's my vote for Super Bowl Saturday.

And while we're on it... move the Final Four to a Th/Sa, Fri/Sa or Fri/Su. Can't ever find someone to watch the Monday night final with me. Always a let down.

And please, please bring back some meaningful college football to New Year's day. I don't have the time to watch possibly meaningful games on Dec 30, 31st, Jan 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or whatever the Bowl Championship Meatheads are doing to us lately.

Yes on outlawing the moving-up-to-halfcourt-after-timeout inbound rule in the NBA. These guys get paid enough to get it downcourt. Speaking of which, they get paid enough to figure out how to score without travelling. Call it.

On TV and football...commercials aren't killing the broadcast, but they are killing the stadium experience. Sure wish I had TiVO while sitting in the stadium so I could fast forward through all of the standing around and numerous time outs. My father was beyond excitement to go to his first pro game this year. By the end of the first quarter his balloon had deflated by boredom. At least on TV, the time gets filled. If you want me to buy a ticket, you've got to keep the on-field game moving.

Next: Ban sideline reporters. They are of zero value. If we have to have them, allow them to only report on injuries and ask 1 stupid question per coach, per game. No reporting in the 2nd quarter on what Coach X said YESTERDAY about special teams play. That's what the pregame shows and color people are for.

Ban the field goal nets in football. We paid enough. Let us keep the damn ball.

More games on thanksgiving. And at least one that starts after 5PM PST, right when I'm ready to start my food coma.

Like the idea of the game clock running in football. Make'em work.

On the flip slide, the "injury time" in soccer is ludicrous. Stop the clock if someone is "really" hurt. In what other sport is there this shroud of mystery?

Any fan sitting behind home plate with a cell phone up to his ear, waving to the camera should be ejected.

I've got to disagree with "1. Can we please get rid of the outdated college football rule that you are down, without contact?"

In fact the NFL should go back to the college rule. It's not for saftey, but rather so that it is easier for the refs to determine the end of the play. In the NFL, the down by contact rule makes it an overly difficult call for the ref and thus the end of every play is subject to an instant replay review. And I hate instant replay because you get play-huddle-challenge-review-commercial-long explanation of review-commercial-play. With this and the elimination of the "score-commericals-kickoff-more commercials", we might actually get an NFL game in under 3.5 hours.

9. I hate when someone proposes a comment like this. It totally destroys tickets and pricing. Why would anyone purchase a good ticket if you could buy bleachers than sneak up to the front. It would create a mass of people trying to move up and a huge fight for the best seats. It'll be like a stampede trying to get to the best seats. If fans think they get shafted, don't go. It's the best way to show management that we don't approve of the outrageous prices. By essentially stealing and moving up to seats you didn't pay for, you aren't saying anything.

How about losing the sideline interviews that delay kickoff 15 minutes every week? No one cares about what the coaches say because we only need to hear one answer before we've heard them all. "We have to play hard, not turn the ball over, keep our intensity up, not let our intensity down, take it one play at a time and get plenty of fluids." Blah blah blah. If the TV Guide says kickoff is at noon, don't make us wait until 12:20 to see the game.

All professional teams should warn fans when they change uniforms. It's enfuriating to buy a 80$ jersey, only to have the team upgrade the following season.

Love the list. I cannot watch NBA basketball without wanting to pull my hair out.

My list...

1. Get rid of calling timeout while flying out of bounds. Players must have at least on foot on the court.

2. In college football, a receiver must have two feet in to be a completed pass.

3. NO AMERICAN LEAGUE DH!!! Stupid, stupid, stupid. Managers should have to think to make a change in the line up.

4. Reduce the number of bowl games by half. Two 6-5 teams playing in the Pouland weedeater Bowl in Buttcrack, Iowa is dumb.

5. Move the Baseball All-star game to July 4th. How American is sitting around with some buddies, drinking beer, burning the burgers and taking in the game.

6. Insert the 10 run mercy rule in baseball after the 7th inning.

7. In college football, if a team is winning by more than 30 points after the 3rd quarter, all the starts must be taken out of the game.

8. If a college coach is caught violating NCAA rules, he or she should not be allowed to coach for 3 to 10 years, based on the violations. Do not punish the school for others wrongdoings.

9. In college football, change the overtime to the NFL style. Starting from the 25 yard line is too much like backyard football.

10. In college football, show the teams running out onto the field. Nothing is more exciting to fans to see the intensity of the young players.

#10 - here's a thought: Don't just legalize gambling, let the players bet on either team all they want. Just track their bets and publish them in the team's media guide.

Why? Two reasons -
1) let any player dumb/corrupt enough to bet against his own team shoot himself in the foot. Show our children just which "role models" have character and which ones are in it for the money. Owners/GMs might also benefit from knowing what players may actually be in it to win a few games. Maybe professional sports could begin to work like the rest of the working world where it takes more than just a little talent to get by...

2) Perhaps players incentivizing their own performance will lower ticket costs. Player income can continue to go up at astronomical rates, and the poor fans won't have to absorb it all.

While I can agree with having a team homfeield, meaning the Super Bowl could be played in cold weather, why not put Super Bowls in Lambeau Field, in Denver, make weather a factor, because it is so stupid that we have super bowls, either in domed stadiums or in moderate weather, when most of the season the teams do play in the elements, and plus how much money would you pump into these cold weather economies, tons. I hate that the elements are not part of the Super Bowl, i mean one of the reasons the afc and nfc championships games sometimes are more closer than the super bowl is because of the elements

I would evoke the best interest clause that can be used by commissioners in all sports. I personally am tired of hearing about how teams can't afford to field decent teams, but continue to get palaces built for them on my dollar, and then raise prices year after year. As a commissioner, I would require that teams who have low attendance and do not fill 50% of capacityone season to reduce all ticket prices 25% for every game the following season. This prevents teams like the Pirates and Marlins from taking revenue-sharing money and just sitting on it. If it happens twice in a row, ticket prices have to be slashed 50%. Teams should be held to account for lousy marketing and poor performance, like any other business would. This would also be a real attempt to increase attendance, and give average fans a chance to see the game the way they used to as children.

Stop making stadiums smaller!!!

This trend is more pronounced in baseball, but is also at work in Football. The new stadium in Chicago actually reduced the number of seats.


The reason that teams are doing this is to promote ticket scarcity - which allows them to raise ticket prices. The contrast with the colleges - with stadiums over 100 K could not be more obvious. The irony is rich - cities are being asked to pay for stadiums in which their citizens will simply never use (unless they are season ticket holders plucking down a couple of grand for a psl).

Rather than moving the Super Bowl to Saturday, keep it on Sunday and then declare the Monday after the Super Bowl as a national holiday to allow us all to nurse our hangovers. Most of us need a three-day weekend somewhere between New Year's and Good Friday, and a Super Bowl Recovery Day is a great excuse for one.

Also, during total blowout football and basketball games, split the screen to show the cheerleaders. Those poor girls bust their butts on their routines and they rarely get on camera. Spotlight them during the dog games, and maybe the male viewers will stick around longer.

OK, I'm only half joking about those. But these rules are for the fans, right?

Now for some serious rules.

First, for the NFL and college games, I would love to see an electronic device put in the football that will register when the ball crosses the goal line. That will virtually ensure that the calls are correct and not dependent upon a ref trying to see through a pile of twenty guys to determine how far the ball progressed. They'd still need to determine if the guy was down before the ball broke the plane, but at least the ball crossing or not would be accurate.

And for baseball, I'd love to see instant replay to challenge close plays at bases, shoestring catches--plays of that nature, not balls and strikes.

Also, put in a pitch clock so a pitcher has to throw the ball within a certain time limit, say 20 seconds from when he caught it from the catcher or umpire; if the pitcher then gets called for a delay of game, the batter would get one ball added to his count. A batter would need to be back in the batter's box within 10 seconds of the last pitch, or a strike gets added to his count. I hate waiting forever for an at-bat to play out.

1. In NBA and college basketball, get rid of the fouls at the end of the game by giving the fouled team the chance to bring the ball in with a new clock, instead of shooting free throws.

2. For all NFL games, put a fully miked, unedited audio version on cable/Sirius/XM (now that's Real Sports!). I'd love to hear what everyone is really saying. Same with trips to the mound in MLB.

3. In the NFL, rather than shortening the play clock, give each team 1 or 2 'clock challenges' that will lop 15 seconds off the play clock. Can be used at any time in the game. Great for strategy.

4. Definitely get rid of the timeout after an NFL kickoff. The offense should be able to call a play in the 3 or so minutes they've had since the TD/FG.

5. In MLB, if you are hit by a pitch on body armor (above the knees & below the neck) or just on your jersey, you shouldn't get a base.

6. Definitely like the idea of NCAA FB & BB championship games on weekends, and move the Super Bowl to Saturday.

Jim M.
Jacksonville, FL

No more touchdown - commercial- kickoff - commercial in NFL games. The 2nd tv timeout completely destroys the flow and momentum of the game.

Umpires who cannot call a true strike zone should be eliminated from the major leagues. Umpires who antagonize players and managers with their "staredowns" should be suspended just like the players.

I agree about the basketball timeouts - the last 2 minutes of a close game take at least 10 minutes in real time, and excitement is sucked right out of the arena and the fans. Three or 4 timeouts/half should be plenty.

Fix the all star games (especially the NFL Pro Bowl) - take away the player's all-star incentive bonus if they are selected but do not play because of "injury".

Its time to get rid of the college football overtime format, or at least stop counting the touchdowns and adding them to the final score in regulation. A game ends 24-24 in regulation but goes down in the books as 45-42 after overtime? Scoring is meaningless from the 25 yard line and shouldn't count in the stats or record books.

I like the Super Bowl in a nuetral site, but for God's sake make it someplace fun and tourist worthy...no more games in Detroit or Minneapolis in January (or is it February now?)!

Fans watching on TV get all the replays of every close call. In the stadium, the fans who pay for tickets do not see the close calls. This can't be why teams have zillion dollar scoreboards. Let the people who pay to see the games see the replays.

Relegation, for the sake of the Atlanta Haws fans. I truly belive the last 2 teams of the regular seasons should be relegated to either NBDL, minor league or whatever should be called second division. Do you believe the Hawks management team would still be around ? No team should be allowed to wander in the depth of the rankings and provide a secure win for other teams for more than a year.

i have to say that one rule i would change is that in the NFL...you have to try to go forward at the end of the games. you can't just take a knee. another thing is with hitting the quarterback. you can't expect the defensive lineman to just stop in their tracks if their running full speed at the Q and then he throws the ball a split-second before he gets there. just some thoughts.

I liked the idea about moving up the start time on NFL games from 1pm to 12:30pm to avoid preempting by another game. I loved Nicky P’s idea about changing the NFL play clock from 40 seconds to 25 in the last 4 minutes of each half. I’d probably change that to the final 2 minutes of each half.

I don’t have a problem with domes stadiums for the same reasons that others described. A neutral site for the Super Bowl is important and it would be nice to have it on Saturday. Gambling is legal if you live in Vegas or have an offshore account.

College football should go back to having the major bowl games on New Years Day. I love college football, but am a traditionalist when it comes to bowl games.
I hate commercial timeouts, but that isn’t going to be abandoned anytime soon. The NFL (and Monday Night Football) picked up on something that the WFAL introduced about 10 years ago by interviewing coaches right before the game and before the second half. Few have a problem with this, but I do. It’s not like you’re getting any worthwhile information that the coach is going to volunteer.