This weekend featured, if the internet is to be believed, the best week of playoff football, perhaps, ever. Multiple last-second finishes that had NFL twitter going insane and fans of teams getting happy drunk, sad drunk, or angry drunk, depending on who you were rooting for.
And while I do agree that Saturday’s Packers-49ers game was a very good game (though it made me sad for my mom, a diehard Packers fan), I didn’t see two good games on Sunday. I saw one bad game and one reason why football is flawed. And I know I’m not considered the NFL expert on this site, but perhaps that makes my everyman take something to consider.
Yesterday, the NFL done fucked up. So let’s stop pretending like it was good.
Let’s start with the late game, because it’s the one that most people seem to agree on. As the Chiefs beat the Bills, all of America came to understand one thing: the NFL overtime rules suck.
In the NFL, if you are the first team to get the ball and you score a touchdown, the game is over. Which is stupid. There are two options here, and both seem to make sense: either change the rules to the NCAA rules, or don’t have a coin toss decide who gets the ball first. Make it some sort of skill event. My suggestion: a singing contest between two members of each team. Wouldn’t that make for much more engaging football?
As for the Bucs and Rams, I know it seemed like a good game because there was an exciting last minute comeback attempt only thwarted by an insane drive setting up a last-second field goal for Los Angeles. But you have to admit: had the outcome been switched and Tampa somehow pulled off the comeback, no one would be talking about how well Tom Brady and his team did. They would be talking about the historic and catastrophic breakdown that was the Rams. And I’m willing to admit that this is my preference, but I don’t think good games usually include phrases like “historic and catastrophic breakdown”.
Ahead 27-6 (after holding Tampa to a field goal after a long drive), the Rams got the ball back with 3:02 remaining in the third quarter. Here are the results of all of their drives for the remainder of the game: fumble, punt on 3-and-out, fumble, missed field goal, punt on 3-and-out, ANOTHER FUCKING FUMBLE, game-winning field goal.
What kind of Apple Dumpling Gang horseshit is that? No team deserved to advance from that slog of a game. The 49ers should just be crowned the NFC champ and get a bye week.
There is so much to love about the NFL. It’s a fun sport with great moments. I just wish yesterday had, you know, more of them.
Fancy Boys Club 