Retweet of the Day - March 26, 2014

The Daily Hat Trick is not into making any political statements or delving into controversy any more than necessary to be interesting and relevant. However, today's retweet, by Kazeem Famuyide (‏@RealLifeKaz)
illustrates an inherent contradiction in decisions made by the NFL.

The NFL, if nothing else, has demonstrated that it is keenly focused on protecting The Shield (the NFL's trademark logo). It has taken steps that has gotten it branded the "No Fun League" by this publication and others. It is how they do their business, and that's fine.

However, the league's decision to stamp out the faintly burning embers of a threat to its image by banning the dunking of a football over the goalposts as a touchdown celebration seems a bit excessive considering that it has chosen to do not address the possibility of a change to the name of the controversial mascot, "Redskins" of its Washington franchise.

Regardless of one's opinion of the name, it seems to me that the removal of a touchdown celebration that further endears the fans to the players and the game because of a possible delay of the game is trivial when compared to the public perception of insensitivity toward Native Americans with the continued use, even in the 21st century, of a mascot that many Native Americans find offensive and many Americans, as a whole, consider a pejorative term. Yet the league has taken swift and decisive action on one issue that will have no gainful impact and procrastinated on a controversy that can only injure the shield as time passes without a resolution.

Today's retweet:

"NFL says you can't dunk on goal posts but the Redskins name is A-Ok."

The No Fun League may have to reevaluate its priorities for things to change.

Image from www.aiowallpaper.com

Don’t Fake The Funk on the Nasty Dunk

The NFL has put “The Jimmy Graham Rule” in place. Starting next season, the teams of players who celebrate a touchdown by dunking the ball over the goal post will be penalized 15 yards. New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham has made this his trademark celebration during the past several seasons.

No Fun League

When it comes to sucking individual creativity, originality, and fun out of football, the NFL is the president, emperor, and king of fun ruining. The league is imposing this rule change under the guise of the continuity of the game. Graham, twice, unleveled the goal posts from his dunk celebration, causing the games to be delayed until the posts could be leveled properly.

Using this reasoning, the problem is with the delay of the game, not the celebration itself. So, why not penalize a celebration resulting in a delay? Chances are Graham and others would not dunk the ball so hard and/or not hang on the goal posts.

Regardless, the penalty-free touchdown dunk is now part of the NFL’s past. There’s nothing that excites the home crowd or the television audience, not residing in a cemetery, more than watching a game changing touchdown accompanied by the roar of the crowd and the scoring player calmly walking over to the official and handing him the football. The No Fun League strikes again! 

How about the team is penalized, but gets two points for the dunk?

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

Image from www.putusincoach.com

Retweet of the Day - August 8, 2013

Houston Texans defensive end and reigning Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt has seen his stock skyrocket in the last year. After a solid rookie season in 2011, he exploded with a 20.5 sack season, helping the Texans win the AFC South for the second straight year. Watt is a rock star in the city of Houston.

Besides being a freak on the gridiron, he's appears to be a good guy. Among other acts of giving back to the community, earlier this year, Watt "married" a little girl who was a Texans fan in a mock ceremony, far above and beyond what the most involved athletes do for children. Inevitably, this legend in his current home town is growing with exponential speed.

Recently, the NFL (a.k.a. the No Fun League) continued it Draconian crack down on anything that makes the players look like human beings with emotions as opposed to robots. The league banned spiking the ball in the end zone after a touchdown and sack celebrations in an effort to reduce taunting. Watt, of course, is famous for his post-sack salute. Watt says it is a tribute to American veterans.

Here's one Tweeter's perspective on the situation, from Chivesology (‏@ChivesMcGee): 


"NFL: Saluting celebrations will be a 15 yard penalty. JJ Watt: Too bad, I’m doing it anyways. NFL: Ok saluting celebrations are cool."

He even takes his hat off (after taking the QB's head off) before he salutes. What a great American!

Image from http://blogs.chron.com

Retweet of the Day - March 21, 2013

Calendar year 2013 has been a tough year for Patriots Fan, even tougher for their future Hall of Fame signal caller. New England was smothered at home and eliminated by the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship Game. Quarterback Tom Brady restructured his contract to free up salary cap space. His guaranteed money went up, but total money went down. The Pats’ glaring free agency priority was Brady’s favorite receiver, Wes Welker.

What happened? The Pats lowballed Welker and Welker took his talents to the Mile High City for a Scorned Lover’s Discount (i.e. less than New England offered). He will be catching his passes from Peyton Manning next year. Welker’s defection, in my opinion, makes the Denver Broncos the front runner in the AFC in 2013.

Super Bowl run? Gone. Money? Gone. Favorite receiver? Gone. Tuck Rule? Gone. what's next?

Tainted Legacy

How could things get any worse for Tom Terrific? Yesterday, the NFL announced that it was eliminating the Tuck Rule. If you talk sports with me personally or read this blog regularly, I need not explain how “TuckRule” is a profanity within the confines of my fanhood. The careers of Brady, Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, and the legacy of the current Patriots regime were launched due to the Tuck Rule.

If you are new to watching the NFL, or are not old enough to drink yet, the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots met in Foxboro in the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff round. The Raiders led by three points in the final minutes of the game. The Patriots were out of timeouts. Cornerback Charles Woodson of the Raiders hit Brady as Brady was bringing his arm back to his body after pump-faking a pass attempt. Linebacker Greg Biekert of the Raiders fell on the loose ball and the game appeared to be over.

Lo and behold, upon review of the instant replay, the officials ruled that Brady was in the process of tucking the ball away, part of the process of a forward pass by rule. The rule became known as “The Tuck Rule”. It was virtually unheard of by the masses prior to that January night in 2002. It has been a lightning rod football discussions ever since.

At least one problem wife (Anna Burns Welker) is out of the Patriots' clubhouse.

The Fallout

The result of the play was an incomplete pass, not a fumble. The rest is history. The Patriots tied the score, sent the game into overtime and won on clutch Adam Vinitieri field goals at the end of regulation and in the extra frame. The Patriots went on to beat the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans and the Patriots current AFC dynasty was born.

This is more than just a rule change. It is a subtle, implicit statement about the Belichick-era Patriots' legacy. It is the most legitimacy-challenged sports dynasty in my lifetime. Tom Brady himself couldn't believe the Raiders' fumble recovery in the '01 playoffs was overturned. Without it, either the Raiders, Rams, or Pittsburgh Steelers win the Super Bowl and the Pats' three championship dynasty is an impressive, but tainted, back-to-back run in 2003 and 2004.

Of course, the three Patriots Super Bowl wins have been overshadowed by the specter of the Spygate controversy, in which the Patriots were caught videotaping divisional opponents' defensive signals. New England has not won a Super Bowl since the scandal broke in 2008. 

Today's retweet could be a summary statement for the aforementioned, from Rick Fox (@RFoxxWNY):

"Tough week for Tom Brady he loses his favorite wide receiver and now the Tuck Rule has been eliminated." 

The karma from the football gods keeps piling up.

Images cited in a prior Daily Hat Trick Postings.

Passive Negotiation

The NFL has concluded its third week of action. It has also concluded its third week of regular season action in which replacement officials have been employed to referee the games. The regular NFL officials are locked out until a new labor agreement can be reached with the league. The final play of the final game of the week may have ensured that the regular officials get what they have been wanting.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

During the player lockout of 2011, the figure of $9 billion in revenue per year was offered repeatedly by the media as an estimate of annual NFL revenue. Recent reports have placed the difference in monetary value of the officials’ demands and what the league is offering at approximately $4 million. If the NFL wants what it gets for $4 million (out of a $9 billion pie), it got it.

Last night’s Monday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks was officially decided on a Hail Mary pass from Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson to Golden Tate on the final play of the game to give the Seahawks a 14-12 win. What really happened is that Wilson’s pass was intercepted by M.D. Jennings of the Packers as Tate stuck his arm in Jennings’ chest after pushing off of another Packers defender, Sam Shields. Tate wrapped his other arm around the ball after Jennings landed on the ground.

The befuddled officials glanced at one another, then the side judge signaled “touchdown” while the back judge signaled to stop the clock, which typically follows a change of possession (such as an interception in the end zone resulting in a touchback). The play was upheld by instant replay (longtime NFL referee Gerry Austin stated on ESPN that replay could not be used to determine which player had possession, only whether or not the ball was caught). The game is over.

LAST STRAW

Going back to the beginning of exhibition play in the 2012 NFL season, there have been comedies of gaffes and errors by the replacement officials. There have been missed holding calls. Late hits and illegal downfield contact have gone un-penalized. Officials have delayed gameplay, with some games lasting over four hours in regulation, discussing plays and applicable rules. The NFL appears to have taken an approach that game officials are like interchangeable parts.

Last night’s calamity is prima facia evidence that knowledge matters, experience matters, and that the regular officials were hired into their positions over others for a reason. The regular officials did not have to do anything to earn their strongest bargaining chip to date. They just had to not be there.

TOUCHDOWN  SEAHAWKS??? 1

Image from www.redding.com

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Major League Baseball is in the Stone Ages

1, 2

If you have ever taken college level business classes, you learn some very basic premises about business that lend themselves to common sense. Companies selling stock want to offer investors an opportunity to earn a return on the investment. The companies want to demonstrate that they are going to offer a product with value, with a demand. Companies want to show that they will innovate and be better than the competition. How else can you get someone to put his money into your company?



The gramophone was good enough in my day!



If I have to explain to you why you
should want to buy from me instead of
"Black & White Guy" on the left, you should
jump in front of a bus right now because your
DNA should not remain in the gene pool.

3, 4

So, what would you think of a company that clings to century old technology? A firm that does not bend to the whims of fancy, Johnny-come-lately trends just because every other competitor is using it and its customers love it…. A firm that believes its shortcomings are part of its charm…. A firm that would not want to deprive its customers of its failures because its customers would be deprived of the human element that makes the product so great…even when it is not great.



Sounds like an insane proposition, does it not? That is what Bud Selig and Major League Baseball put forward to the public. In contrast, the National Football League has utilized and fine tuned its use of instant replay for the past 15 years. It has expanded its brand to play regular season games in Europe. It has marketed itself to the point where the NFL is in the sporting news every day of the year – preseason, regular season, post season, offseason. If the NFL is the equivalent of the Jetsons in the sporting world, Major League Baseball is the Flintsones.



STRIKE THREE! YOU'RE OUT!!!

 5

George Jetson flies around through skyways in his vehicle. Fred Flintstone has a bunch of logs and branches with an animal skin for a roof and two cylindrical stones for wheels, attached to the chassis. They both make the best use of the resources available to them. So lets take a look at how George Jetson’s counterpart, Roger Goodell, handles situations in comparison to Fred Flintsone’s counterpart, Bud Selig.

6

Situation – officials make egregious calls that alter the outcomes of games.



Roger Goodell thinks, “This is unacceptable! We have 20 high def cameras covering every angle of the field at all times. We are going to make the officials take one more look at the play, from every angle imaginable (in 90 seconds or less), and have an opportunity to correct any mistakes they may have made.



Bud Selig thinks, “The human element is part of the charm of the game. It’s what people pay for! The ’27 Yankees didn’t need instant replay. We didn’t need any fancy, high definition nonsense to know that something was wrong with the 1919 Black Sox! The original call was good enough for Johnny Mize; it’s good enough for Johnny Damon! YABBA DABBA DOOOOOO!”



Situation – after looking at the impact of a rule on the game, it is clear that the rule is a stupid one. It’s bad for the game and the fans dislike it.



Roger Goodell thinks, “This is unacceptable! Our fans have a voice and if we ignore that voice, they will start doing their talking with their wallets and remote controls. Jane, we’re going to stop this crazy thing! The tuck rule, as it was, was stupid and the better team did not win. That was changed. Calvin Johnson caught, what any normal, rational person, would think is a touchdown. The rule is stupid. We're changing that next year."



What’d you say, fans? You know what, it IS bad for the fans when two teams that play an entire season are in a game to decide one of our participants in our signature event, the Super Bowl, and a coin flip heavily influences the outcome in overtime. Let’s FIX that next year so that a team doesn’t win a coin toss, get a good kickoff return, one good passing play, and a field goal to advance in the playoffs.”



Bud Selig thinks, “The show must go on! I don’t care if game 5, a potential closeout game, of our signature event, the World Series, has to be played in a maelstrom and we might not be able to finish the game. People want baseball and, gosh darnit, I’m gonna give it to them! If we have to call it after 5 innings, I’m in charge, we’ll pick it up where we left off. I’m not going to let some stupid RULES mess up the flow of the game! (This is contradictory on so many levels.)



PLAY BALL!!!

7

WILLLL-MAAAA! Why are people belly aching about the All-Star Game? The better league should host the World Series and the All-Star game is a gallant effort from the greatest ballplayers in world, played to the finish, to decide league supremacy! Nobody cares about trivial things like win-loss records. Those all star players break their neck to prepare for the All Star Game and we are going to honor that warrior-like commitment by deciding who gets to host the World Series! They're a team! And they're in it together! Those fans just don’t understand what they would really like better. YABBA DABBA DOOOO!”



Situation – The final month of the regular season approaches.



Roger Goodell thinks, “We have 32 teams. With 12 playoff participants, all but the worst of the worst teams have a chance at the playoffs in December. Most fans are going to be engaged with their teams until the end. People are buying tickets and watching on television. People are talking about all of the games. Even the worst teams could play “spoiler”. It’s a good thing Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue added wild card teams so that games not involving division leaders actually MEAN something.”



Bud Selig thinks (in 1993), “Well, we have 28 teams now. We’ll have 30 in a few years. (sigh) Well I…guess it can’t hurt to add a divisional round to the playoffs. It’s just…two more teams in each league. Someone will like it…I guess.”



There is no better way to spend a Sunday than at the oooold ballpark!

 8

(in 2010) “No, damnit! We have 8 teams going to the playoffs already! I don’t care about empty stadiums in August and September. I’ve broken tradition enough as it is! I don’t care if we have more than double the teams we had 50 years ago. That means better competition. If Pittsburgh Pirate fans are REAL fans, they’ll stop wasting their money on Steelers tickets in the fall and watch all of the young prospects…the ‘Pirates of tomorrow’ grow before their very eyes. We are NOT going to become the NBA!! (Isn’t that the truth!) I’ve listened to the fans, and people do not want MORE playoffs. They want to hurry up and get the season over with! (And at the rate he’s going, everyone will share that sentiment soon) YABBA DABBA DOOOOO!"



So which company do you want to invest your money in? One that is a pioneer for sports technology? Or the one that is too rich in tradition to bend to the whims of its customers and make all kinds of stupid improvements and useless changes that make the product better? I know where my money is going. And here’s a hint: I think the Flintstones' descendants made the right choice to reinvent the wheel.




Only this dude would invest in MLB with a plan to make money.
And we all know where Gordon Gecko ended up.

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