Make Sports Better: Part I

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