Make Sports Better: Part IX

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 0 Comment

Author: Craig
Bio: Engineers stuff for money. Steelers fan =) . Penguins fan =( . Apparently likes creative writing structures.

Two words: Goalie cam. As a hockey goalie myself, I have had the privilege of watching the world’s fastest game from the only location on the rink where you can truly see plays developing (both offensively and defensively). I want to share that joy with the sports community. (1) Setting up a camera directly on the goalies mask would create a whole new world for both current hockey fanatics and those new to the game. And imagine how awesome a Zhedo Chara slap shot that strikes the mask cam would look!

Make watching baseball on the TV less of a chore. Let’s be honest – baseball games are terribly boring. The teams even realize how boring they are by employing such gimmicks as making grown men race around the outfield dressed as sausages just to keep the fans interested/awake (so, (2), get rid of that). But what are we, the fans who did not buy a ticket to the game, supposed to do between innings, between pitches, between anything interesting? Talk to our family? Absurd. So why can’t ball clubs make watching baseball on TV more like being at a game? (3) Have cameras setup around the ballpark so we can feel like we are actually at the game. (4) For one inning, turn the announcers off and let us listen to the crowd. (5) Take us into the dugout for an inning. (6) Show us the wacky gimmicks, the trivia questions, the general mayhem that occurs during the game. Just do anything so I don’t have to surf the internet and listen to music just to be able to tolerate watching a baseball game.

NBA Jam rules. This is an easy one. We’ve all played NBA Jam, and loved all the crazy ways to change up the simple game of putting a ball in the basket. My personal favorite is the 4 (or 5 or 6 or even 9) point shots that show up randomly on the court. The NBA already is full of freaks of nature that can avoid traveling by taking two giant steps from half court and leaping from the 3 point line to dunk. (7) Why not actually challenge them by setting up special locations on the court (far from the basket of course) at certain times that are worth changing numbers of points? Imagine how awesome the end of a not-so-close game could be with a 9-point shot area located at half court.

(8) Eliminate the wave. This may not be a popular request, but nothing irritates me more at a sporting event than the wave. This is America – I’ll stand up and scream when I want to. This obnoxious “traidition” prevents me from watching the very thing I paid an obscenely large price for (unless it’s a Pirates game, in which case I paid $7 for it and a concert afterwards). Ballpark security should strictly ban this practice altogether and let us get back to gorging ourselves with hot dogs while yelling at the umpires about bad calls.

Let the umpires/referees/linesman fight back. The hardest job in all of sports is without a doubt being the man making the calls. Nothing the referees do will ever be considered perfect by the players, coaches, and most often the fans and none will hesitate to let them know their displeasure. But why doesn’t the referee get a chance to fire back? (9) When a hockey goalie lets in a soft goal, let the linesman laugh in his face. When a baseball coach signals a hit-and-run that backfires into a double play, have the umpire kick dirt at him. And when a 7-foot power forward misses a dunk, let the referee have a controller with funny sound effects that play over the loudspeaker. The final piece of this has to be for the fans. (10) Why not let the refs explain their call? Football has started this with explanations after video review and hockey has followed in their footsteps, but why not allow referees to explain themselves whenever they’d like, even directly to the face of certain fans. Maybe this would shut up some of those obnoxious fans who couldn’t even tell you the hand signal for holding but insist on yelling at the refs to call it each play.

Increase baseball playoffs, decrease baseball regular season. Baseball regular season is as awful as the postseason is exciting. (11) Why not kill 2 birds (Astros and Cardinals, maybe?) with one stone (Rockies?) by shortening the regular season and in place of it adding more teams to the playoffs. Everyone will be happy – players don’t have extra games, owners get the same (or even more for the playoff-bound teams) revenue, and fans get treated to more excitement and less snoring.

Make player salaries more dependent on performance. In all sports, players’ performances seem to have a drastic increase in the final year of their contract. Are they somehow playing harder for the money? While we’d like to think they are always trying their hardest, in most cases, this is not completely true. (12) So why not make every play more exciting by making them financially tied to the players involved, ensuring optimal effort out of everyone.

Change NFL overtime policy. I bet you’re guessing I’d change the “first team to score wins” mantra currently used in NFL overtimes, but I’m not. Instead, I’d like to see another more subtle change: (13) don’t let games end if they are tied after the first overtime. The real reason McNabb didn’t know the rule was he didn’t realize how dumb the NFL is. There are only 16 games in a regular season – why cut it even shorter? In very few instances does the game even get this far, so why not let it continue? American sports fans love ridiculously long games, be it 5 overtime hockey playoff matches where players can barely get their tired legs over the boards on a line change, or an epic tennis match that continues over 3 separate days. Imagine the level of awesomeness that could ensue when America’s most popular sport is allowed to continue uninterrupted.

(14) More player-fan interactions. Sure, franchises try to get their players out to meet the fans in some creative ways (Penguins players delivering season tickets to some lucky fans, for instance), but these situations should increase. One of the biggest reasons we love sports is the connection we feel to our favorite players and teams. The thrill of meeting these heroes of ours would only improve these connections.

(15) Add a salary cap for baseball. It’s tough enough being from Pittsburgh without being ridiculed every time baseball is mentioned just because the Pirates happened to have a record 18 straight losing seasons in a row (that number may not be right, but who even cares anymore?). Add a salary cap, make these overpaid sissies only get paid $200,000 per game where they bat 4 times and make maybe 3 plays in the field, and let some other teams get a chance to win for once.

(16) Eliminate punting in overtime of the NFL. This is another way to improve the overtime in the NFL. The strategy of overtime would completely change, with teams having to decide whether to kick or receive when they know that when fourth down comes around they could potentially give the game away.

(17) Have basketball’s “intentional foul” rule actual prevent intentional fouls. Nothing is worse than watching a team down by 10 with 1 minute left foul excessively hoping to somehow make their way back into the game. This rule is a sham – most of the fouls at the end of the game are obviously done intentionally, so make the damn call and let the game end already.

(18) Eliminate the trapezoid behind hockey nets. What a dumb rule, seriously.

(19) Increase ice rinks to Olympic dimensions. Olympic hockey is awesome, mostly because of the additional space that allows the best players in the world room to do their thing.

(20) Use common sense. Too often these days, games and seasons are decided by asinine rules and penalties that should not have any effect on the game. Golfers are disqualified for forgetting to sign their name on their scorecard. Football players are given obscene 15-yard penalties for kneeling to celebrate a big touchdown. Hockey video replay officials refuse to reward an obvious goal just because they can’t see the puck explicitly cross the goal line even though basic physics requires that the puck be in the net. Let’s use some common sense here and let the players decide the outcomes.

Make Sports Better: Part VIII

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 3 Comments

Author: Sterny
Bio: Architect, actually a decent hockey player when he isn’t whining about the ref

  1. Eliminate Pitch Counting. Who doesn’t love seeing a pitcher blow out his arm getting that last batter?!
  2. No More Cheerleaders. Hear me out. Let’s get rid of cheerleaders in sports where they don’t belong. Case in point: There’s nothing lonelier than a single cheerleader standing in the aisle of an entire section at a hockey game. They just look lost. And it;s always awkward when people try to walk around them and appear to “not actually stare.”
  3. More Shannon Sharpe. The guy’s an idiot. It’s like a never-ending SNL skit. I’d pay for a channel exclusively dedicated to Shannon Sharpe talking.
  4. Same as above, just replace Shannon Sharpe with Charles Barkley.
  5. A new sound system for the Nassau Coliseum. Okay – this one may be a little bit specific and personal, but it’s really, really bad. Like, worse than the actual team that plays in the building.
  6. More sea-creatures. The Red Wings have the Octopus. For no apparent reason, the Canucks now have the Salmon. (Ironically, the San Jose Sharks and Florida Marlins have yet to catch on to this tradition).
  7. More on-field microphones. I love the chirping that goes on between players during the game. Definitely adds a dimension of being part of the game.
  8. Pierre McGuire must go. No 5’-5” bald white guy should be the barrier between two benches in a tight hockey game on NBC.
  9. Eliminate Philadelphia sports and transport all Philadelphia sports fans to ::insert random desolate town here::. Ok, I know this sounds biased, but hear me out…Actually, I think all of you who are not from Philly probably don’t need me to defend this.
  10. Barry Melrose and Don Cherry need to give the play by play for the PGA Tour. Nothing would add life to a good ol’ round of golf like a greasy mullet and a wardrobe that’s louder than the crappy sound system at the Nassau Coliseum.
  11. Put all convicted felons who are currently playing in the NBA into jail. Think of the quality of play that the remaining Serbian-Jewish white guys would produce!
  12. I have full respect for the world of Poker and the skill that it takes to be good. But please get poker off of my television. Unless there’s a waitress in a skimpy dress offering to get me drinks, I do not see the logic behind watching poker.
  13. Make the Olympics more frequent. Nothing makes irrelevant and obscure sports as exciting as the effects of Nationalism. I mean, at what other point does it become acceptable to go to a bar to watch curling? Similarly, when else can grown men sit around watching 16 year old girls do gymnastics, and NOT get in trouble?
  14. Better thought-out flyovers. Why did my tax dollars pay for a flyover at the Superbowl, when the Dallas Cowboy Stadium is INDOORS AND COVERED? C’MON!!!
  15. Football broadcasts need to have a camera dedicated to covering morbidly obese linemen trying to roll over and get up after a tackle. This should be an HD camera to ensure full resolution of the belly rolls that fall out of jerseys.
  16. What the hell are the rules to Cricket? I don’t know how to make it better, without knowing why it’s good (or bad). Although, the prospect of a game lasting for a few days has some nice tailgating ramifications.
  17. A moment of sincerity: Steroids – MLB needs to take ‘responsibility’ for the entire steroid era as a means of ending the conversation. Anyone who is suspected or found guilty that has been significant to the sport should get into the Hall of Fame…But put them in a room and name it “the Era of Steroids.” Cheating or not, this era was full of important events and people to the sport. Its not absolving them of their sins. But the best way to move forward is to make a wholesale decision. MLB needs to make a sweeping gesture and go forward from there.
  18. An E-True Hollywood Story of K-Rod’s demise from THE closer to the guy that beat his girlfriend’s father, and tore a tendon in his thumb while doing so…And somehow he is STILL on the Mets.
  19. At least twice during hockey games, player wives who are in attendance must be shown. Hockey players always manage to undeservingly get the hottest girls, even without having teeth. See: Alexei Yashin and former super model wife Carol Alt. More recently, Mike Fisher and Carrie Underwood (I love you Carrie).
  20. No matter how bleak it is, there is no way that moving a hockey team from Long Island to Kansas City is a good idea.

Make Sports Better: Part VII

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 0 Comment

Author: Sean
Bio: Bleacher Report Writer, longtime fan of Curtis Joseph

  1. Legalize Gambling – Tax it… It would inject some money into the economy, and it would make watching sports much more fun for everyone. Downside: It would create a new generation of degenerate gamblers
  2. Spread the 24/7 Love – Seriously, is there anything cooler than the Hard Knocks and 24/7 shows on HBO? After watching the Pens-Caps one, I couldn’t even hate Sidney Crosby anymore. These shows provide a really in depth look at professional athletes we don’t really know much about.
  3. Make wearing colors at home the American standard – Soccer teams around the globe already do this. NFL and College Football teams already do this. So do NHL teams. Why don’t the NBA and MLB make the switch as well? Does anyone actually buy Lakers, Knicks, Celtics, or Heat jerseys in white?
  4. NFL Overtime – Do it exactly like college, but start from the 50.
  5. Down By Contact in College Football – Unnecessary and somehow has outlived its usefulness. Don’t penalize a guy for hitting the ground after making a great play. If he isn’t down by contact, let him get up and run.
  6. Make All Star Games Fun – The NHL All-Star game Skills Competition is easily the most entertaining All-Star event I’ve watched. Following closely behind are the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and the MLB Home Run Derby/Celeb Softball game. All-Star weekend is supposed to be fun, so why don’t we make it that way? And counting games for home field advantage…seriously?
  7. Extra Time in Soccer – Is there anything more arbitrary in sports? Why does the soccer referee get to be a complete dictator about when the game ends?
  8. Stop Expanding March Madness – 68 teams is already enough. People may see VCU making the final four from the play-in round as a justification for further expansion. But eventually there will be a point where too many teams will be involed in this thing as people try to make more money off of it. Good luck making the Final 4 in 2035 when there’s 128 teams in the tournament.
  9. Stop Penalizing for Celebrating – Sports are supposed to be fun. Don’t throw a flag at a guy for dancing in the end zone as 70,000 people cheer for him. Do penalize clearly organized and planned out celebrations like Joe Horn with the phone or T.O. with the Sharpie. Don’t fine the guys for having fun though, just penalize their teams. The coach will take care of the rest.
  10. College Football Playoffs – About as obvious a choice as there could be on this list. NFL playoffs are already so much fun. And how about March Madness? An eight team college football playoff would captivate the nation for a month, easily.
  11. League reviews on diving in Soccer – The NHL and NBA review video and make determinations whether players should be suspended for serious penalties, technical fouls, or faked injuries as a means of gamesmanship. In soccer, leagues should constantly review video and fine/suspend players for diving. The incessant flailing and faking really turns Americans off to the sport. If it were better regulated and there was less of it, we’d be more open to the sport as a whole.
  12. Salary Cap Floors – Leagues can determine a set amount of money owners should be making (based on ticket revenue and league licensing payouts) and investing back into their teams. The numbers should be something that guarantees that even the poorest owner is turning a profit, but one that also ensures competive balance among the teams in the league. The NHL has already instituted it (though the Islanders craftily circumvented it with impossible to reach incentives for veterans), and the practice would work great in Major League Baseball.
  13. Pay College Athletes – These guys practice and play enough that they’re basically working a full-time job. The least we could do is give them some of that TV money so they can live like normal college students. We give these kids a free education, but take away all their free time and tell them they can’t work. Then we’re surprised when these broke college kids start taking things for free. Kids would also stay in college longer if they were being paid enough money to support themselves.
  14. Make games affordable for the real fans to go – The true fans have been out-priced by the ever-rising ticket prices of professional sporting events. This has killed the atmosphere at great stadiums of the past like Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, the Boston Garden etc. The die-hard, working-class fans are now relegated to the upper depths of the stadium where they cannot be heard. This leaves a corporate-like atmosphere in the lower bowl and for those watching on TV.
  15. Organize a bigger Champions League competition for the world – I know that the FIFA Club World Cup already exists and is a tournament that squares off Champions League like winners from around the World. But it would be so much sweeter if there were one Champions League style tournament that all of the professional soccer leagues in the world sent teams to. This would be like an international March Madness and would draw as much attention as the actual world cup itself. Right now, very few people care (or even know) about the FIFA club world cup.
  16. Pay scales for rookies vs. veterans – Veterans should make more money on average than rookies, period. Especially in a league like the NFL where half of the first round picks turn out to be busts; those players shouldn’t be guaranteed all that money from the start.
  17. Retirement benefits for players – It’s sad that old NFL players can’t afford to pay for their medical bills. This is a multi-billion dollar industry. The fact that they can’t find a way to take care of former employees is embarrassing.
  18. What’s that trapezoid supposed to accomplish anyway? – Seriously, get rid of the thing. The trapezoid was the most senseless new rule that the NHL instituted. It accomplishes absolutely nothing.
  19. Expand Instant Replay – Just for important things (Goals and Potential Offsides on Goals in Soccer, Home runs and Fair/Foul in baseball). Nothing crazy, we just need to get the big calls right.
  20. Let the winning league in interleague play get home field advantage – We pit the leagues against one another every season, and ESPN tracks the overall record for each league seemingly for no reason. Instead of letting one game decide which league gets home field advantage, let’s use a 252 game sample of interleague competition. The AL would have hosted 10 times since interleague play began, while the NL would have hosted 4 times.

Make Sports Better: Part VI

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 0 Comment

Author: Alyssa
Bio: Sister. Converted to sports fan by rabid brother, Zach. Likes the Mets out of pity.

  1. smaller stadiums (more passionate fans – more competition for tickets)
  2. dinners where athletes will be present that the public can buy tickets to
  3. have a discount for enthusiastic dress (loud jersey, face paint, etc)
  4. sell booklets of profiles of athletes at the games (favorite food, family, hobbies, beliefs)
  5. have athletes advocate for a foundation of choice in between innings or periods or halves (etc), encourage fans to donate
  6. plan events at bars that public can buy covers to
  7. organize contests/raffles to “spend a day with an athlete”
  8. permit a wall of the respective stadium to be signed by guests/fans
  9. encourage/write/make custom more creative chants for the teams – give passionate fans something constructive to yell about, sense of community
  10. reward fans for loyalty. “50 games attended” present, “100 games” present, “1000 games” present, etc. could be anything: pins, rings, hats, etc.
  11. have fans submit designs for t-shirts or apparel
  12. create a who-wants-to-be-a-millionaire sports edition
  13. have a sports festival in the summer, showcases by MVPs of all sports (the lollapalooza of sports). maybe tents can sell sports-related merchandise, the MVPs can be there presenting, there can be lessons by some coaches or trainers, there can be physical therapy tents for injured players
  14. create cartoons based on famous sports teams/a comedy of the life as a famous athlete
  15. create a “dinner with 20 strangers” among fans. the idea is to have 20 strangers that share the common interest of love for a team to share a meal or coffee together. makes for interesting networking and table talk. sign up can be coordinated online or at sporting events.
  16. create blogs for teams that are open to public postings – can be found on team websites
  17. somehow make the teams more equally skilled. one team should not win every consecutive year
  18. have a yearly event for each team that requires application to attend strictly for networking purposes. have the team members there along with administration and 200 high school to grad school age students deeply invested in the team
  19. have a magazine or newspaper subscription for each team (if that doesn’t already exist)
  20. lower those damn salaries – it’s just not fair!

Make Sports Better: Part V

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 0 Comment

Author: Josh
Bio: He writes this blog

  1. Lift the ban on endzone dances
  2. Establish universal standard scoring settings for fantasy football
  3. Make public transit to the game the easiest thing in the universe
  4. Price discount for people who wear the home team’s home jersey to the game
  5. Have more fun at the expense of people who wear the visiting team’s jersey to the game
  6. More stadium traditions akin to the Bleacher Creature Roll Call
  7. “Happy Hour” drink & concession stand specials for people who get to the game early
  8. Move all All-Star Games to the end of the season. Get rid of World Series homefield BS. Teams drafted pickup style like NHL
  9. More on-field/uniform ads, less TV timeouts
  10. Sports crossover All-Star Games (ie, NL vs. NFC in a game of basketball)
  11. Fix the NFL’s field goal/last-second-timeout disaster. Preferably, before somebody gets injured on a play that didn’t count
  12. No kicking in the NFL All-Star game
  13. Less kicking in the NFL, in general
  14. You can only introduce a new jersey for your team once per decade
  15. Do anything to fix the NBA Hall of Fame because it’s a complete trainwreck disaster
  16. Space Jam 2
  17. The Soundtrack to Space Jam 2
  18. Every copy of Sandlot 2 and 3 buried in a massive landfill
  19. Anyone suspected of doing steroids in baseball can’t be elected to the Hall of Fame. Instead, they may be elected to the Hall of Phlegm
  20. Smaller MLB bullpens, more instances of position players having to pitch an inning
  21. Zambonis that can be used to clean/wax basketball courts during intermissions, too
  22. No more overtime losses that count as 1 point in hockey. No more shootouts at the end of tied games, either
  23. At the end of the NHL Postseason, the Scott Niedermayer Trophy for the player with that spring’s best playoff beard
  24. Salary cap loopholes/provisions so that it’s easier for teams to keep tenured players / All-Stars seeking paydays / Lebron James
  25. NHL Skills Competition events for fighters, too
  26. I have no idea what channel the Versus Network is; why can’t I set my DirecTV so that it’s always channel 3 (or whatever)?
  27. Related: Kill the Versus Network
  28. Sports league commissioners are tenured the same way we tenure our President: four year terms, two terms max, entry by popular vote
  29. Related: Don’t publicize the fact that voter turnout for sports commissioner elections will probably be higher than that of presidential elections
  30. Jesus Christ allow NFL and MLB clips on Youtube already

Make Sports Better: Part IV

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 0 Comment

Author: Peter
Bio: Actually an avid hockey fan. I think there are only like six of those left. Dislikes using capital letters.

  1. have an all-mascot game before the all-star game
  2. outdoor basketball games at neighborhood parks (even if exhibition)
  3. give away one piece of game-used equipment directly after the game via raffle. Honestly. What’s better than watching a game for three hours and taking a piece of it home with you? Have one piece of game-used player’s equipment or apparel designated as a prize to be given away to one lucky fan. The cost is minimal, and it’s sure to draw a huge amount of respect for thinking of your fans.
  4. give away unoccupied rich people seats a certain portion into the game (a no-show cutoff time)
  5. make concessions more affordable for families, etc.
  6. more promotional give-aways (seriously, why did these disappear? they draw fans)
  7. charge less for parking ($50 for a jets game is ridiculous)
  8. give a discount for wearing team colors or team stuff (I think josh already said this)
  9. prevent pre-season holdouts by bitchy players who feel that they want more money even though they’ve signed a contract
  10. get rid of trading for “expiring contracts” (NBA)
  11. find a way to keep players on a team for longer periods of time (more Michael Jordan’s, Cal Ripken Jr.’s)
  12. find a way to accommodate out of market fans (without paying $15/mo for MLB TV. maybe pay a smaller fee for access to just one team’s games?)
  13. institute replay as needed to reduce botched calls
  14. fine players for aggregating for on the field for confrontations (NBA fines people for leaving the bench, why doesn’t the MLB? the “bench clearing brawl is a JOKE, it’s just people jawing at each other)
  15. more Canadian NHL teams, less phoenix, florida, atlanta junk
  16. crack down on DIVING (mainly soccer, NBA)
  17. have a maximum rookie contract, it’s getting ridiculous (MLB, NBA especially)
  18. legalize mixed martial arts in new york
  19. control (not necessarily ban) alcohol consumption in some way (make sports more family friendly)
  20. have the all-star game in the middle of the offseason instead of the middle of the actual season

Make Sports Better: Part III

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 0 Comment
Author: Zach
Bio: A Very Brother of Josh. Really into masochism rooting for the Mets and Islanders. Keeps his own Mets blog on the internet somewhere.
  1. More in-game player cameras. How much closer to the game can you get? Why not give fans greater access to what the players experience during the game?
  2. More pre-game player access. I know they are professionals and are about to play a game, but at least in hockey and baseball there is some down time before the game starts. How about more autograph sessions, or something? Players should be doing that anyway.
  3. Continue to bring in big-name soccer players. Thierry Henry and David Beckham should just be the beginning. Soccer is a great game; there is a reason it’s the most popular sport in the world. If the US could somehow get more high-profile players, the sports fans of the US might really enjoy this game.
  4. Less advertising, please. Everything is sponsored—even replays. Let’s take it easy and let the sponsoring stop with commercials and stadium signage. Less is more.
  5. At the end of games, let people move down to new seats. I am not sure about this one, as this may annoy people who paid for the expensive seats. However, this could provide more incentive for new people to buy those tickets after they see the better view. This would only be allowed for last three innings, or the last period, or the fourth quarter, or whatever.
  6. Bring back the glowing puck. People watching hockey say they have trouble following the puck; let’s help them.
  7. Make college basketball players stay longer. The one year requirement was nice, but if football players have to stay for three years, then why not basketball players? This puts more focus on education.
  8. Lower prices of ballpark food and drink. How people charge $6 for a soda is outrageous. Families should be able to budget for day-trip, not a week-long vacation.
  9. Stop with extravagant food. There is no reason the Mets should be selling lobster and shrimp at baseball games, especially for double-digit prices. Stick to whatever they say in “Take me out to the Ball Game.” They did it right.
  10. Fantasy sports writers should have some credibility and accountability. Some articles (Yahoo!’s “Flames and Lames” comes to mind) are usually half right—they could be guessing, but probably getting paid to do it. How about getting it correct 70% of the time? Can an icon next to the author’s name keep track of this?
  11. Bring fantasy sports to sporting events. Put booths at baseball/football games where you could check your lineup between innings. Somehow owners would charge for this, but I think it could work.
  12. Bring fantasy sports to sporting events #2. How about putting relevant fantasy stats up on the Jumbo-tron—even if it’s just his Yahoo!/ESPN Player Rank? This could be a partial sponsor to generate more revenue for team too. Let the fans see how their players are doing in fantasy.
  13. Eliminate the Pro Bowl. Especially since it’s after the Super Bowl. I don’t know who watches this.
  14. After each game, why not let people run the bases, or kick a field goal, or take a shot in basketball? Simple things that may make stadium staff work an extra 20 mins would be a huge win for the fans.
  15. How about some new camera angles? Every so often, it would be awesome to see a hockey game from Alex Ovechkin’s visor. Put a camera there (with insurance because he hits) and after he makes an amazing move, let’s see how he did it.
  16. Remember the rally monkey? The Angels had a huge home field adv with the blow up balloons. Why don’t more teams do this? They are not as bad as the World Cup vuvuzelas, but were great to watch on TV.
  17. Hire nicer people instead of these asshole security guys, who yell at kids and families because the power has gone to their heads. [Editor’s Note: This may be a New York thing.]
  18. Raise the rims in basketball. Just because people are 7 feet doesn’t mean they should make millions of dollars playing basketball. Some big men aren’t good athletes but are on the floor, especially in college because of their height. A higher rim changes that.
  19. Expand Instant Replay in baseball…a little. Football has it correct. Give each manager two challenges a game. The technology exists; why not use it? Either that, or have a 5th umpire somewhere inside the stadium who can buzz the crew chief if he got a call wrong. Wouldn’t slow the game down that much, but would make sure the correct call is made.
  20. No college football playoffs. The BCS may not be the best method, but with every system there are flaws. Even with a playoff like the NCAA tournament the best team does not win (Butler and VCU would not have been the best teams in the country). The bowl system is fine the way it is.

Make Sports Better: Part II

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 0 Comment

Author: Action Steve
Bio: Jets fan, part-time superhero, likes Roger Federer, dislikes talking quietly

  1. Allow fans to set parts of season schedules—most fans know key rivalries and season dates, so taking a popular consensus vote on certain matchups would help retain fan interest
  2. Adopt a merit/character-based salary formula—not only should athletes be paid for their skills, but also by setting a positive example in the community. Could be sabermetric in style or function
  3. More interactive intermission events—thank fans for coming to events by initiating higher participation/higher stakes giveaways and entertainment. Could be achieved by small increase in ticket prices, i.e. $1 opens up at least $20,000 worth of prizes per night. Not many fans would be turned away by that slight a raise and the entertainment value more than makes up for it
  4. No timeouts in the last 2 minutes of any sport—no one likes to sit through endless commercials as the last minute of a basketball game turns into 15. This is what athletes get paid to practice for; let them show the world how they can handle the pressure
  5. Engage teams in league-wide viral media competitions—fans love seeing the goofier side of athletes, and I’m sure the athletes wouldn’t mind donating winnings to charity either
  6. Have interleague exhibitions—not just the AL and the NL, but the AFL and the CFL, the NBA and the ABA, the MLB and the Nippon League, etc. Shouldn’t be reserved for only the World Baseball Classic and the Olympics. Helps promote a global/rivalry-accentuated fan base.
  7. Periodic full league resets—every 25/40/50 years, draft EVERYONE again, auction style, with a salary cap. The owners can stay the same. Contracts can be negotiated. If you ask for too much, you might not find a home right away.
  8. When the technology develops, nano-player cams—everyone wants to see from the eyes of the athletes themselves, and when the cameras become small enough and not obstructive, it’s a go.
  9. Kill Bud Selig—this would solve so many problems. These include, but are not restricted to: rich/poor team inequalities, steroids, All-Star games ending in ties, etc.
  10. Expel poor-performing teams—if you have a record below .400 for 5 years in a row, your city loses its team and a new one starts in a predetermined next-best location. Expansion draft (and embarrassment) then follows.
  11. Institute a rotating “wildcard”—a la NBA JAM. For example, in basketball, make a specific hotspot count for 6 points one week, then have all turnovers lose 2 points the next week, etc. Could be applied to all sports. Everyone loves an x-factor.
  12. Schedule some games/matches at crazy hours—but you can only do this a few times a year to make it stay a novelty. You draw the real crazy diehards, the young folks, and the weirdos. At least two of these groups purchase most of the merchandise anyway.
  13. Make athletes play some games with one leg, or one arm, or other physical qualifiers—similar to the past two examples, but the more restrictions on the athletes, the more people would watch. But don’t do this in excess either.
  14. Establish weight and/or height classes for all sports that want them—not only does this diversify the athlete base, but there is SO much merchandise potential. Give the best less and the worst more. Parity is great.
  15. Make athletes try out for their teams every year—contracts should have no-guarantee clauses. You have to fight for your money, not get hurt for 5 years and earn $50 million too.
  16. Reward team accomplishments during the season—best midway record, longest winning streak, best in certain statistics, etc. I think the apathy some professional athletes show would disappear instantly.
  17. Make performance enhancing leagues—I know it’s been said before, but for the non-purists out there, make steroids ok in their own leagues. Bizarre body types and insane stats to follow.
  18. Lower concession prices—I don’t care how much money the owners lose, I’m not spending 15 dollars on a popcorn and soda that won’t last me half the match. And I bet I’m not the only one.
  19. Have bargaining agreements determined by popular voting—it’s obviously no fun when people can’t enjoy their sports, and athletes can’t get 27 pairs of sneakers a day because they’re not getting paid enough. Have non-athletes communicate their feelings with players unions and make it so looming strikes never have to happen.
  20. Lie about bargaining agreements—wait, doesn’t that contradict the last one? When the NFLPA says that they’re not going to take it anymore, you believe them right? And you get all riled up and football’s popularity rises exponentially? Well aren’t you going to be more interested when they finally pull a deal together at the last minute? Any publicity is good publicity, even the falsest of the false.

Make Sports Better: Part I

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 0 Comment

Author: Matty
Bio: Mets fan, excellent dancer, likes to travel, considering law school

  1. College football playoffs
  2. Sell day-of replay tv rights to baseball games
  3. Real halftime shows for all professional sporting events
  4. Seeding in playoffs: Top seed picks their first round opponent. Instead of organizing the first-round by seeds, match-ups are determined by selection. Seed 1 picks their opponent, then seed two, and so on. The Knicks would be much less complacent now [Editor’s Note: As of writing, in early 4/11. They suck anyway.]
  5. Universal Instant Replay: Like Tennis/Football. Every team gets ~3 challenges/half. Also, refs get free reign to use and are judged on accuracy with replay included
  6. Have “Adult ESPN,” tv/radio station where sports betting odds are analyzed
  7. NBA: Weekly good-faith league vote to retract technical fouls (2/3 to retract)
  8. NFL All-Star game: hold skills competitions (punt/pass/kick, running, passing accuracy)
  9. Global Heavyweight boxing tournament
  10. North American Soccer League—mix the US and Central America leagues
  11. Soccer: Allow one intentional offsides per game, as long as the coach is wearing the offsides hat. No fakes, and a 3 minute window of opportunity
  12. NFL: fix roughing the kicker/passer rules
  13. NFL: 15 seconds penalty-free celebration. For a 50+ yard play, 30+ seconds
  14. NASCAR: One race a year, put drivers in British cars and make them turn right
  15. The Michael Jordan rule: Teams must allow their players to pursue another professional sport for 2 years max if they so wish. Eligible years may or may not be negotiated into contract
  16. New York Jets addendum: Allow Sal Alosi wall, and rule manipulation. Don’t hate the player hate the game
  17. Goodwill award: For sports with a lottery, each professional sport who does the most significant public good gets a 1% chance increase in next year’s draft. Some ridiculous group can be the arbiter, like the UN or something
  18. NFL: If you go for a field goal before 4th down, you get to finish your set. You can’t kick again, and the ball is down at the spot of kick
  19. NFL: Mandatory 2 game medical suspension for concussions
  20. Combat sports: One global championship belt per weight-class. You can only refer to one person as “champion of the world”. Can still have more than 1 promotion, but they must be tiered.

    [Editor’s Note: Matty actually correctly followed my instructions for intended formatting. So while others spent time toiling away at long-form sentences, I’m going to allow Matty 5 bonus recommendations.]

  21. In response, unionize fighters
  22. Abolish cricket
  23. Focus/heart-rate meters: In individual sports (i.e. tennis/golf) show mental activity and heart rate for each contestant. Good use of one of 50 HD-screens
  24. Universal sports weekend: Players of each league vote for 3 representatives of their sport to the global contest. Showcases physical and mental abilities. WHAT SPORTS HAVE THE BEST ATHLETES?Clear 1 weekend for this every 2 years, and the competition can be over the internet.
  25. Soccer: If a player halts play for injury for over 20 seconds, they must take 5 minutes out of the game

Sports Week / Guest Week / Next week!

By JoshPetersel in Josh plays Sports, Make Sports Better 0 Comment

[Edit. It’ll actually be going for the next two weeks. Whoa.]

Next week (starting 5/2), we’re going to do something awesome. I’ve invited a bunch of my good pals to pitch in 20 sports ideas apiece, culminating in a MASSIVE list of ways we could make sports better. It turns out, I guess, the sports world could stand to be a much better place.

The entire list is now over 150 items long [Edit. Now we’ve hit 200.], so I figure we’ll split it up into easier chunks of one contributor per day, daily.

If you’d still like to contribute, get your junk into me by Thursday (4/28) or whatever.

For the cumulative list, check out the Make Sports Better category.

-J