@spendius,
What is wrong with you, spendi? I'm slightly concerned for your mental health.
@edgarblythe,
I'm concerned for your's Ed if you think it's about "equalizing the chances".
Rocky was spot on. Nothing cynical about it.
Bernard Shaw wrote--"The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it."
On the other hand, I could be right.
It has always been a sore point with me that a team can get the ball, make a long field goal and the other team never got to touch the ball. I felt this way as far back as the 1960s.
@edgarblythe,
It is a possibilty I must admit Ed. A rather remote one in my opinion.
@edgarblythe,
Mind you, I never said you were wrong either, ed.
and Spendi would argue with hisself if nobody else was here...
We all have a right to our opinion. When somebody jackasses about it the way spendi does, I truly do worry for his state of mind.
For what it is worth: Andy/Clubber and I debated this today when we should have been working. My numbers from 1974-1993 showed no statistical advantage for the team winning the coin toss. In 1994, kicking teams had to do so from their own 30 yard line vs the 35. This allowed the receiving team to, perhaps, get pretty good field position. The statistical advantage for the 1st receiving team rose to something like 60%.
Field goal kickers are getting a lot stronger, and Andy argues that stats he can cite now show the winner of the coin toss winning 70% of the overtime games.
@realjohnboy,
realjohnboy wrote:
This thread is probably long since dead but there is some NFL news to report today (3/24). By a surprising margin, the teams recommended a rule change regarding overtime.
Overtime will still start with a coin toss. Now it is "sudden death," where the 1st team to score wins via Field Goal or Touchdown. The new rule is that if the team winning the toss scores a FG on its 1st possession, the other team will get one more possession to either tie it with a FG or win it with a TD.
It strikes me as a decent solution to a problem that I am not sure really exists.
It should be noted that this rule change only applys to playoff games. Regular season is still sudden death (the old way). So it's even more obtuse.
I kind of like it though; I never liked the old way. Hopefully they'll adopt the new rule to the entire season after the playoff 'test' period.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8171b356&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true
@maporsche,
I didn't know it did not apply to regular season games. Thanks.
@jespah,
I pick Houston, Pitsburgh and Washington.
