Blogcritics: Comments on Football Fundamentalism

Comment by Eric Berlin

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 22:49:29 EST

I feel completely the opposite on that one. While I respect a great field goal kicker, it's one of the weaker aspects of the game. What I mean by that is that a last second field goal in which a game is on the line is both suspenseful yet disappointing. It almost seems silly, after 60 minutes of hard-fought battle, to let a skinny (by football standards) dude trot out onto the field to give it a go. It's almost like flipping a coin. That being said, watching Scott Norwood's miss in the 1990 (maybe '91?) Super Bowl to allow the Giants to win is one of my more special sports memories. (Note: if you're a football fan and enjoy off-beat films, do NOT pass up Buffalo '66 on a what-should-we-rent video night... trust me.)

Comment by Mike Kole

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 22:35:59 EST

I wouldn't mind seeing the field goal rules changed to see a four-point field goal for, say, 50+ yards, and a five-point field goal for 55+ or 60+. Having the 3-point goal in basketball rewarded that skill. It might take away some punts and turn them into long field goal attempts.

Comment by Eric Berlin

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 16:38:50 EST

Yes, the AFL is action-packed, but I'm an NFL fan at heart (I don't follow the college game at all). My most sincere suggestion would be to stop the clock after every play. Sitting on the ball cuts down severely on the action and drama in a game. It will probably never happen, which led to all of these wild flights of fancy.

Comment by visualsimplicity

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 15:25:00 EST

I realize it was tongue-in-cheek, but I couldn't help pointing out the conflict anyway. But seriously, if you want more action, in terms of scoring, try the AFL. I don't watch it myself, because I very much enjoy the defensive aspects of the NFL, although I enjoy watching the Colts do their thing too. It's a fair amount of mixture of both, not too much, not too little. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, as the saying goes. Then again, the only minor gripe might be the overtime system, but eh, that's another debate on which I'm not sure which side I'd take.

Comment by Eric Berlin

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 14:32:54 EST

Well Andy, they were both immortalized by The Beastie Boys' "Ill Communication," so I for one would never disparage either Hero of Knicks History. "Got a heart like John Starks..." That being said, that Game 7 at Houston was brutal. A half-decent game there and you've got an entirely re-written history...

Comment by andy marsh

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 14:29:34 EST

I always thought that Starks and Mason should have changed last names...because Starks was much better at throwing up bricks than Mason ever was...the last name would have fit him better!

Comment by Eric Berlin

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 14:25:48 EST

Clyde Frazier turned himself into one of the best sports broadcasters out there on WFAN radio, renowned for his rhyme-heavy analysis... "sliding and gliding, slashing and dashing!" Unfortunately, the Knicks last won a championship before I was born, so I have to rely on memories of the relative glory days of Ewing, Charles Oakley, John Starks, Anthony Mason, and so on. They made a few good runs and two finals appearances, but never put one over-the-top.

Comment by andy marsh

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 14:06:57 EST

I remember when the Knicks were one of the best...back in the days of Earl the pearl, Clyde Frazier and Bradley and DeBushere, with Reed in the middle. I don't think I've watched basketball since those days!

Comment by Eric Berlin

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 13:11:30 EST

Strangely enough, I was. Even stranger, I managed to became a Yankee fan in a Mets household. We all managed to rally around the Knicks, though in those days, pre-Ewing and Riley, there wasn't very much to rally around. One of the disappointments of living in California is that people don't seem to have nearly the same passion for team sports that they do in the East. However, the fact that it's about 73 degrees out as I write this helps wash away the pain a good bit.

Comment by andy marsh

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 13:06:00 EST

You were actually allowed to watch the Giants in a Jets household?

Comment by Eric Berlin

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 12:36:31 EST

The major thrust of my yearning is for more action, really, and not necessarily for more touchdowns, though the lengthening of the field suggestion is among my most tongue-in-cheek. I'm actually a defense guy. I grew up watching the New York Giants in the 80s with Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms and Bill Parcells -- it was Ball Control all the way.

Comment by visualsimplicity

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 11:24:30 EST

Wait, correct me if I'm wrong, but you want more touchdowns, yet you want to stretch the field longer so teams have to drive longer to score? If you want more touchdowns, watch the AFL, they have no sidelines too.