Originally Posted by Brock (Post 9186561)

Seriously, what kind of female-brained knob do you have to be to think virtually eliminating special teams play from the game makes it better, or even the wishy-washy thinking that it would be no worse? Get ****ed, and stop screwing this game up.

Originally Posted by Brock (Post 9186584)

The NFL by 2015: A Punt Pass Kick competition with orange slices at halftime. Ribbons for everybody!

Originally Posted by DeezNutz (Post 9186586)

Don't care about what happens to gladiators.

Originally Posted by unothadeal (Post 9185229)

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...ating-kickoffs

When the NFL changed the line of scrimmage for kickoffs to increase touchbacks, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick derisively said that it was only a matter of time before the NFL eliminated kickoffs entirely. He believed that's what the NFL wanted to do.

Belichick might wind up being proven right.

Roger Goodell through the years
Take a look at photos of Roger Goodell through the years.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said that he's taken it under consideration to remove the kickoff entirely.

"It's an off-the-wall idea. It's different and makes you think differently. It did me," Goodell told TIME in a cover story for the Dec. 17 issue.

Even more intriguing is an alternative concept promoted by Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano. Goodell met with the NFL competition committee chairman about the concept.

"After a touchdown or field goal, instead of kicking off, a team would get the ball on its own 30-yard line, where it's fourth and 15," TIME's Sean Gregory writes. "The options are either to go for it and try to retain possession or punt. If you go for it and fall short, of course, the opposing team would take over with good field position. In essence, a punt replaces the kickoffs."

It's an interesting idea. We haven't seen the numbers that punts are that much safer than kickoffs, but the NFL must have the data to support the notion if they were considering it.

The implications for strategy are even more intriguing. If a team is trailing by more than one score very late in the fourth quarter, they likely would to try to go for it on fourth-and-15 instead of punting. That's not an easy situation to convert, but the concept would still make it easier to make a comeback without ever giving the ball back to an opponent.

Originally Posted by Brock (Post 9186552)

Let's get rid of passing over the middle, receivers get hurt, PLUS there is still the running game to make it exciting!!!!!

Originally Posted by jAZ (Post 9186713)

Settle down Brock.

If the NFL is considering this change they have a significant justification for it. I assume they have data that says it's a very serious risk. Unlike other plays.

And for the record, there's not just running plays. There's EVERY OTHER PLAY NOT CALLED THE KICKOFF "to make it exciting!!!!!".

I think there's somewhere around 30,000 plays in an NFL season (60x16x32).

There were 10 kickoffs returned for a TD in 2011.

The game will be ok without those 10 plays.

And if it replaces them with punt returns, you probably wouldn't lose anything. There were more punts returned for TD's than kickoffs returned.

Originally Posted by jAZ (Post 9186713)

Settle down Brock.

If the NFL is considering this change they have a significant justification for it. I assume they have data that says it's a very serious risk. Unlike other plays.

And for the record, there's not just running plays. There's EVERY OTHER PLAY NOT CALLED THE KICKOFF "to make it exciting!!!!!".

I think there's somewhere around 30,000 plays in an NFL season (60x16x32).

There were 10 kickoffs returned for a TD in 2011.

The game will be ok without those 10 plays.

And if it replaces them with punt returns, you probably wouldn't lose anything. There were more punts returned for TD's than kickoffs returned.

Originally Posted by Dave (Post 9186812)

KO returns for TDs are a very exciting part of the game.

Originally Posted by Dave (Post 9186809)

I just don't know how they can do it.

No more on-side kicks? If a team is behind late, they have no shot of making a comeback.

Originally Posted by dirk digler (Post 9186821)

I agree but since they moved the kickoffs up it has been pretty much neutered IMO.