Plus, you know, that whole celebration thing.

And, contrary to that Amazon link, Andrew Dice Clay does not rule.

Sal: some mates and I have recently had a discussion about this (while watching the NFL in the pub, it now being cricket season in the southern hemisphere and oval-ball action of any description being regarded as a welcome change) and the conclusion we have come to is that American Football has become very similar to the game of Rugby League, where there is no longer any genuine contest for the ball.

All the set-piece moves involve no real contest except at the tackle or the pass (and the forward kick in RL), but only where a mistake by the attacking player may result in a turnover, as opposed to Rugby Union where the ball is contested at virtually every stage - at all set pieces and particularly fiercely at the tackle.

We have also come to the conclusion that both games are very easy to understand (with set numbers of tackles in RL, or downs in American Football), are very linear and therefore easy to watch on TV.

And therein lies the problem. The whole damn thing is being packaged for and dictated to by television.

It is also why I am not paying much attention to the current Tri Nations Rugby League series between Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, despite having played the game. It looks too much like made-for-TV fare, with the old tribal element missing.

It also is why I will be subjecting myself to the potential humiliation in the pub of having New Zealanders and Englishmen tip beer over my head when the southern hemisphere rugby union teams head to Europe for their Spring Test matches against the Six Nations sides over the next few weeks.

It's still tribal, and hasn't been packaged purely for cable TV. It's still a very unpredictable game, even given the number of penalties awarded, and that's why it's retained all its excitement.

Far too much structure - perhaps also dictated in part by the supreme fitness of the players - has ruined two other perfectly good sports, in my view, and removed much of the element of chance.

I can't imagine the sideline camera actually working for instant replay. Unless the guy lands right next to the camera, how could a sidline camera pierce through 21 other guy to see the line?

no long hair? so you want some dumb rules removed but want to add another one?

to matt:
there already exists goal line cams that are slightly above field level that give the kind of look that is needed to at least have a shot at properly spotting the ball on first downs. there just needs to be a clear line of vison. with the advances in tech there's no reason to believe that a small camera can't be mounted on top of the first marker or at some other vantage point. the nfl already has that floating above the field cam, so they can figure it out.

i didn't say no long hair, i said the long hair shouldn't be allowed to hang out of the helmet and over the uni. it looks stupid...and if the league is so obsessed with details like sock length why not add another stupid rule to the mix? at least they would be consistant in their stupidity...

Well, I thought, how nice they're writing about football on BC! How wrong can a boy be?!

American Rugby is entirely like Rugby League which has gone from being the game I love to a major snoozefest.

STM has it entirely right; the best oval ball game in the world is Rugby Union. Freeflowing, fast and fun and as hard as bastards!

And yeah, "There's no doubt that football has surpassed all other sports in terms of popularity" - but it has nothing to do with this boring game!

*Dons armour and ducks*

Would Mike 'Mad Dog' Curtis even recognize this game?
Good article, Sal, but you're asking the impossible. The NFL won't change any time soon. Besides, if you really want to fix stupid rules in major sports, can we talk about the DH?

I feel like Bill Maher a little.

New Rule! When they use the camera hanging behind the quarterback, and if it's passing play, the letters A, B, X, Y, and L should appear above the eligible receivers' heads.

Great rule Suss, but why just for passing plays?

lat night madden said that he was sick and tired of replay being used to make excuses as to why guys didn't fumble and other such minutia, although he didn't use the word "minutia."

Okay for draw plays you can use the overhead letters too.

Madden's specific words, by the way, were "uhhmmmnnmmh WHAP"

This rule should be loosened up to allow d-backs to bump the receiver and have other kinds of contact, but not impede the receiver in any way.

so this would only be allowed on "go" type pass routes? because if you bumped someone on a comeback or an out, then they wouldn't be able to comeback or complete the out.

also, officials already do a good job of spotting the ball for first downs. an extra camera for that purpose really isn't needed.

the rest of your rules changes are ok.

I fell asleep 3 times during the Eagles - Jags game. Now granted, that was a boring game anyway, but I've fallen asleep watching football more often than golf this year.

The ground can't cause a fumble rule is not stupid. When would the play end then.

Christopher: I think they're ignoring us, the uneducated usurpers, despite the fact that we have made some quite valid points. Can't agree with you on soccer though, old boy ... now that is a snore-a-thon - 22 over-paid bogans booting a bag of wind up and down a field.

i agree that the refs do a good job spotting the ball, but the extra camera would not overrule the officials spot, but would be used to settle challenges...it makes no sense to allow coaches to challenge spots and not have a camera to make sure the call is made correctly.

and the ground should be able to cause a fumble...the play is over when a player is on the ground by contact with control of the ball.

How about this for a new rule:

"It is legal for up to three of a kicker's teammates to give him one solid punch right in the breadbasket (each) if the kicker misses (unblocked) an extra point attempt, or a field goal attempt of less than 29 yards, assuming the snap was accurate and the holder correctly placed the laces out."

Man law?

The horse collar tackle rule is out there because guys were getting their legs broken and their knees blown out from those types of tackles. In 2005 Roy Williams did it to 3 or 4 guys including that bastard TO. Which is why its known as the "Roy Williams Rule."

The play should be over when the player has properly come to rest on the field, in full control of the ball and in no danger of sleeping on it.

Can you see the "lift and toss" as a tackling drill in the future? Guys like Tiki would be in trouble then.

Signed,

Anxiously awaiting your Rutgers comments.

what I dont like is the fact that they have a team exclusively offensive and other defensive