How cute.
1) COVID protocols, if any. We are dangerously close, as a nation and world, to throwing in the towel and letting COVID run. I fear both political and economic realities may have more than a few people actually accepting a Deagle-like 70% reduction in the US population -- which wouldn't happen all at once, even if the time frame Deagle gives is the end of 2025. But the fact is, we are losing to COVID, and there may be no real point of fighting it further, be it in sports or anywhere else. We need to right the ship, forcibly.
2) Rooney Rule DOA. I think it's clear that this is still a White Man's League, odes to women-beating thug rapper halftime shows and BLM mottos in the end lines notwithstanding. The fact is, if the Flores lawsuit has shown nothing else, it has exposed what many knew in the first place: The Rooney Rule is a joke, and it's still a White Man's League. And, really, only a Black players' strike, much as was threatened by the players in the NBA after the Sterling tapes, is going to have real change.
3) Defend against the Flores and Gruden lawsuits. Flores is going to be a tough defend, because you not only have the Rooney Rule situation, you have the specter of owner-sponsored sports bribery to have to deal with -- in that Flores was fired, partially if not completely, for his refusal to accept money to throw football games as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins (which now has one thought indicating at least two owners now will have to be replaced -- and with the Broncos also selling, this could become a buyer's market). The NFL's best hope is basically to say "We are above all law", as usual, and prevent either lawsuit from hitting discovery. Because discovery, which makes these matters (including all of the Dan Snyder e-mails and situation) public record, will shatter the NFL as you know it.
4) As such, they do need to get to the bottom of the Flores "$100,000 a loss" claim. On it's own surface, this is Sports Bribery, a violation of United States Federal Law. But it would also appear, however, to run counter to the "only right a person has is a seat and an outcome" of Mayer. In fact, it raises a more interesting question...
4a) (My addition) It's clear that individual states must, at least with respect to what is under their own umbrella (the betting, collection, etc. itself) ensure that any gambling done within their state is legally "fair". A lot of people have talked about the Flores lawsuit and Sports Bribery in the context of the increasing legality of sports gambling. So: As a function of sports gambling: Does this mean that a state must be allowed to ensure the games themselves are fair (abrogating Mayer), or, alternatively, does Mayer extend to a place where Sports Bribery becomes legal, and, hence, Mayer and it's precedents rule the roost, meaning that, TRULY, the only thing a person is entitled to is "whatever transpires", rendering that there no legal -- even within sports gambling! -- right to a legal, lawful, or fair contest?
5) The Aaron Rodgers sabotage continues -- he has the power to set the QB free-agent market. COVID-12 has already sabotaged at least one season, not unlike his predecessor, Khan Noonian Favre. He's supposed to let everybody know, for the basis of helping people like Davante Adams make their decisions, in about a week... Stay tuned.
6) The DeShaun Watson fiasco. Talk about killing a franchise... Look at where the Houston Texans are right now. This is another cost of the NFL and media's "All About The Quarterback" marriage -- if your quarterback turns out (Jim Rome: "Allegedly") to be a sexual predator of the first order, your entire franchise goes flat-line.
7) Then, since "It's All About The Quarterback", sort through the draft for more. Forget O-Lines and Safeties and all that kind of crap. Right, ESPN? Hell, let's take it another step: Look for the new Q-Rating quarterbacks that the league is going to want to push, especially if Andy Reid doesn't leave Kansas City, Brady's retirement sticks, and COVID-12 opens up his mouth again and again...
8) Just create a TMO/VAR and be done with it. Here's the dumbest thing about the open-faced rigging of the NFL. Many other sports have far more transparency, many micing their officials (including the TMO's) to have the fans believe the game is fair. And if you still want the game to be corrupt beyond all repair, there's soccer's VAR model and all the randomness it seems to throw out there.
9) Address Overtime?? I think the thing is, they want both teams to get the ball, regardless of what happens on the first possession. Of course, then the stupid thing: Barring the defense being hopelessly tired, wouldn't you want the ball SECOND? I think this is where you put the "Spot and Choose" proposal the Ravens brought forward.
In fact, I'll make a hybrid of the current rule and Spot and Choose my proposal:
- Victory conditions remain the same. The first offensive team can score a touchdown to win immediately, the first defensive team can score any defensive score to win immediately. Otherwise, both teams must have the ball at least once, at and after which point the first breaking of the tie wins.
- The timing remains the same, 10 minutes.
- The coin toss happens, but the choice becomes different. It basically becomes three choices, so I'm not sure who would get the direction (goal to defend). The winner of the coin toss gets to determine whether they want to spot the ball somewhere to start overtime (no kickoff) or choose who gets to go on offense when the spot occurs. The other team takes the other option. Make it too appetizing for the offense, the other team goes on offense. Set it too far back, they stick you with it.
10) Special Teams. Especially given the Fantastic Finish (tm) stuff, it's time to at least get rid of kickoffs. And punts are, statistically, the most dangerous play in the game. Making the game no-punt would be a real interesting motif. More likely is a no-kickoff scenario, where the ball, after a score, would normally be placed at the other team's 25, with an option for a "fourth and long" scenario at some punitive point, equivalent to an onside kick, should the offense elect.
Yeah, they said ten somewhere, and it's more...
11) The ESPN pro-taunting program continues. If anything, the NFL needs to crack down further (make taunting a one-and-done offense, etc.). The fact is, we may have to go to no celebrations at all and anything short of "hand the football back to the official and go to the huddle or sideline" is 15 and a ross. But it's clear ESPN is pro-taunting and wants to see more mass brawls and skirmishes...
If you're going to legalize taunting, legalize the good right cross to the mush someone can give in response. And then the brawl which comes after it.
12) In-person media access, if any. Could be a real question as to whether some teams might provide it at all... "I'm only here so I don't get fined"?
13) Dan Snyder must go. "Wrangle Washington into line" comes to Dan Snyder. Get rid of him and everyone else involved and see if you still have a Washington Commanders franchise left. There could be a real opportunity (Miami MIGHT go down that road if their owner is ousted) to see the Commanders moved to another city to get rid of Snyder and that whole culture. But nothing happens positively to the Commanders until Dan Snyder is ousted.
14) Relationship between cleats and turf. If anything shows that needs another look -- OBJ jamming his knee and being put out of the Super Bowl should bring this back.
That's their list.
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