What would you change in sports?

[Rock Monster]

If you were commissioner of any sport for a day, what would you change? Instant Replay? The DH rule?

I would change the suspension rules in hockey. If you take a penalty in a game, and injure another player, I believe you should be suspended until the injured player starts playing again. In the Todd Bertuzzi, Steve Moore incident, Bertuzzi shouldn't have been allowed to play again, because Moore never did. Maybe I'd throw in that after a year, he could start again, but at least half of his earnings goes to the injured player.

This would help limit thugs taking runs at the other teams stars in the playoffs also.

[landmammaldolphin]

I would change the NFL (more specifically the Lions) to a bonus system. If you are hired as a Lion, you don't get a big contract, instead you get $50,000.00/year and you get paid bonuses for everything good you do. If your team scores a touchdown, every player on the field gets a $10,000.00 bonus. If you give up a sack, that player gets fined $500.00. If you fumble, $500.00 fine. If you throw an interception, $500.00 fine. If you get any penalty against you, $500.00 fine. You get a $20,000 bonus per player for making the playoffs and $10,000 for each playoff win. You get $100,000 per player if you make it to the Superbowl and an additional $100,000 per player if you win it.

I'm sick of players coming into the league and making truckloads of money and then ending up like the majority of Lion's draft picks. You want to play in the NFL, you have to earn the money. I think they should implement the same kind of pay scale throughout sports.

[Biff]

MLB: re-separate the leagues, eliminate inter league play, get rid of instant replay, put 6 umpires on the field for every game, get a real commissioner (not an owner or an owner's patsy).

[Rock Monster]

Here's another. In the NFL, I would reward the Super Bowl Champions, by letting them host the next Super Bowl. (or the one after that, if 1 year isn't enough time to plan) This may entice owners of bad teams (Lions, Arizona, Bengals, etc) to try a little harder to be good. And I don't care that the super bowl may be played at Soldier Field, or Lambeau, in a foot of snow. It's football. Man Up.

[landmammaldolphin]

Here's another. In the NFL, I would reward the Super Bowl Champions, by letting them host the next Super Bowl. (or the one after that, if 1 year isn't enough time to plan) This may entice owners of bad teams (Lions, Arizona, Bengals, etc) to try a little harder to be good. And I don't care that the super bowl may be played at Soldier Field, or Lambeau, in a foot of snow. It's football. Man Up.

Bravo!

[linzi]

Here's another. In the NFL, I would reward the Super Bowl Champions, by letting them host the next Super Bowl. (or the one after that, if 1 year isn't enough time to plan) This may entice owners of bad teams (Lions, Arizona, Bengals, etc) to try a little harder to be good. And I don't care that the super bowl may be played at Soldier Field, or Lambeau, in a foot of snow. It's football. Man Up.

I agree. It's February. It's supposed to be cold.

[Rock Monster]

NHL: I would do a TV deal with one of the major networks, for dirt cheap. I'm sure Versus paid a lot of money to get the games. This is not helping the NHL, because no one is watching. Sell out to a low bidder that will guarantee to show 3 or 4 games a week. Actually market your product. It's the fastest game out there. Show people.

[mayorofawesometown]

Every professional league would have salary caps, college football would have a playoff system that makes logical sense and rules wouldn't be created just because Brett Favre is a crybaby.

[shaun]

NFL season never ends.

College football playoffs.

More people realize what an awesome event NASCAR is so I have more people to discuss it with.

[cuppie]

If I were the commissioner oh the NHL, I would have a group of video referees that would keep the referees on the ice in check. The refs on the ice make a certain amount of bad calls, they get fined, they miss a number of calls they get fined. Also I would get rid of the cheap interference calls. Finally I would let Mickey Redmond the commissioner after I got out of it until the day he dies so that he could bring hockey back to what it was when he was playing.

[LimpBagel]

Here's another. In the NFL, I would reward the Super Bowl Champions, by letting them host the next Super Bowl. (or the one after that, if 1 year isn't enough time to plan) This may entice owners of bad teams (Lions, Arizona, Bengals, etc) to try a little harder to be good. And I don't care that the super bowl may be played at Soldier Field, or Lambeau, in a foot of snow. It's football. Man Up.

First of all Arizona is going to the playoffs this year. Second of all, we have more of a chance of getting the super bowl now because of the new stadium and great weather than if any team could get it by winning.

Right now it's just domes and warm cities so we have a better chance than if any idiot team like Cleveland had a shot at it.

I agree with getting the NHL on network tv full-time, no matter the cost. They need a set night each week like Sunday and Monday night football do. Tuesday/Thursday hockey on ESPN was pretty successful. Then you only have to compete with the NFL 6 or 7 nights a year.

[khef]

MLB Not let Chip Cary announce. Someone to sit next Joe Buck to tell him to shut up every 2 minutes. Then change the game by not allowing pitcher conference with manager/coach until after 6th inning and only total of 2 per team thru last innings. Make it so if a pitcher gets called into the game during an inning, he will have to pitch next inning. I'm a douchebag I know, but I hate 5 hour games. It's stupid to waste time for a pitcher change to one batter then another pitching change.

[khef]

^^Maybe it would wear pitchers out, but a true team will prevail in the end.
I agree with Biff as well.
BTW, is there a rule you cannot swing when being intentionally walked? I know one of the greats did it by reaching over the plate and hitting a dinger. Last I knew your job as a batter besides hitting is wearing a pitcher out by by raising the pitch count. I would swing at least once, because if you had 2 strikes, that next pitch may end up over the plate as a strike. That would suck striking out during intentional walk situation.

[cuppie]

I wondered the same thing about swinging during intentional walks. I think what would make baseball more fun to watch is if they pre-recorded the first 8 innings of a game. Then they played it pitch by pitch before the 9th inning. Then they could show the whole 9th innings and it wouldn't last so long.

[professorchaos660]

I think theres gotta be a salary cap in baseball. Im sick of seeing the Brewers lose out on big name free agents because they cant compete with the Cubs or other big market teams. The Brewers will automatically lose out on CC Sabathia because they Yankees can pay him double than what the Brewers could

[Biff]

I think theres gotta be a salary cap in baseball. Im sick of seeing the Brewers lose out on big name free agents because they cant compete with the Cubs or other big market teams. The Brewers will automatically lose out on CC Sabathia because they Yankees can pay him double than what the Brewers could

The luxury tax actually takes care of that IIRC. I started a thread at a baseball discussion site where the posters are very knowledgeable. Keep an eye on it because you're going to read some very good pros and cons of a salary cap in baseball:

http://www.motownsports.com/forums/showt...?p=1694831

[Mad Dog]

college football would have a playoff system that makes logical sense

Awww man, you stole my thunder +1 President elect Obama wants to "throw his weight around" and get a College football playoff system started. If that happened I may just vote for him next time for that reason alone!!

[fustercluck]

MLS
If I was commish for Major League Soccor, I'd fold the league and move to France.

NCAA
+1 on the college football playoffs
Sell beer at college games
Salary cap for football players (U$C, tOSU, Florida)

MLB
Play clock to speed up the game
Raise the pitching mound 3 inches
LEGAL steriods OK
No interleague play
No Wild Card

NHL
I like the above idea to shop it to a major network for cheap. Exposure is key for sucess. HD ONLY!

[khef]

I wish Time Warner Cable up here would carry the G-D NFL Network. A-holes.

[Rock Monster]

First of all Arizona is going to the playoffs this year.

Even if they do make the playoffs, they're still a bad team. Oakland made the super bowl a few years back. They're terrible. One year doesn't offset a history of sucking. (example, Lions making the NFC championship came in '91, still they have never been good)

Second of all, we have more of a chance of getting the super bowl now because of the new stadium and great weather than if any team could get it by winning.

My whole point is to reward teams for being good, not just because they built a new stadium, or punishing teams just because they play in the cold (the way football was meant to be)

[Rock Monster]

MLS
If I was commish for Major League Soccor, I'd fold the league and move to France.

First... nice spelling! Second, that's a great idea. Let's just ignore the most popular sport in the world. Let's go ahead and not try to capitalize on that, that's a great idea!!

[Allyson]

I would demand that teams can only hire players from their geographic region.

Of course this wouldn't practically work, but it makes the most sense. When I root for my G-men I am rooting for my home team, and as such I would like the players to be from my area as well. It would create a much greater fanbase because as a fan I would feel connected to the players on a more personal basis. Also, fans are only allowed to root for their home team. No Jerseyites rooting for Dallas. Blech.

Just my ideal world.

[linzi]

I grew up a Navy brat and I still pull for the Eagles (don't start, I watched the game) and of course the Panthers (again, I watched the game yesterday...it was a rough day). We lived in Philly for a while growing up, one of the longest we'd ever lived anywhere until moving here. I have family that lives in Jersey and we'd go there every weekend for a big Italian dinner. It's a beautiful state, especially in the winter. I really miss it......

[Rock Monster]

I would change the NFL (more specifically the Lions) to a bonus system. If you are hired as a Lion, you don't get a big contract, instead you get $50,000.00/year and you get paid bonuses for everything good you do. If your team scores a touchdown, every player on the field gets a $10,000.00 bonus. If you give up a sack, that player gets fined $500.00. If you fumble, $500.00 fine. If you throw an interception, $500.00 fine. If you get any penalty against you, $500.00 fine. You get a $20,000 bonus per player for making the playoffs and $10,000 for each playoff win. You get $100,000 per player if you make it to the Superbowl and an additional $100,000 per player if you win it.

I'm sick of players coming into the league and making truckloads of money and then ending up like the majority of Lion's draft picks. You want to play in the NFL, you have to earn the money. I think they should implement the same kind of pay scale throughout sports.

I just thought of a problem with this. Where does the extra money go? To the Team owners? So the Lions completely suck... still sell tickets to idiots, and still make money. If they don't have to pay the players, they make (keep) more money. More team owners will try to suck, just to make more money.

[vsangelchick]

The extra money would go back into the fan base...lower the ticket prices, food prices, etc at the stadiums. that way you pay for what you see....you pay more to watch a GOOD team than you do to watch a crappy one.

[Biff]

The extra money would go back into the fan base...lower the ticket prices, food prices, etc at the stadiums. that way you pay for what you see....you pay more to watch a GOOD team than you do to watch a crappy one.

Players salaries are paid via broadcast contracts and have nothing to do with ticket/concession prices.

[vsangelchick]

yes, but if they are not putting that money into the players' salaries, he was asking what to do with it....and thus my post....I know where the money comes from, he was asking where it would go....

[raudy]

NFL: play 2 preseason games, play 2 more regular season games, get another bye week in the process, no more games in london, more real grass fields in cold weather climates, safer equipment so the GD quarterback can get hit without getting flagged or fined. realign divisions every 10-12 years.

[Rock Monster]

NFL: play 2 preseason games, play 2 more regular season games, get another bye week in the process, no more games in london, more real grass fields in cold weather climates, safer equipment so the GD quarterback can get hit without getting flagged or fined. realign divisions every 10-12 years.

What would realigning the divisions accomplish? I think by geographical location would be the best way, and that shouldn't change much, if at all in 10-12 years.

[raudy]

i dunno if it would help any at all. but west coast teams are 0-16 this year when they play on the east coast. maybe take the 16 easterly teams and call them the NFC and the 16 westerly teams are the AFC. then make 4 divisions regionally out of each conference

[Mad Dog]

i dunno if it would help any at all. but west coast teams are 0-16 this year when they play on the east coast. maybe take the 16 easterly teams and call them the NFC and the 16 westerly teams are the AFC. then make 4 divisions regionally out of each conference

So we should make it that all the bad teams are out west? Only if LA actually takes the Lions.

[raudy]

im saying by aligning the divisions and conferences better, there would be less travel. however, nfl teams play once a week, i cant imagine jet lag on a friday would effect performance on sunday or monday.

[airhornahole]

I would lower the salaries of all athletes. They are not worth what they are getting. Also, limit ticket prices. Seats would be filled. A fan base could be generated. People could actually afford to go to a game. Not just corporations who want to impress clients.

[Queenie]

I would lower the salaries of all athletes. They are not worth what they are getting. Also, limit ticket prices. Seats would be filled. A fan base could be generated. People could actually afford to go to a game. Not just corporations who want to impress clients.

Exalt!!

Edit: Next hour!!

[Mad Dog]

So the owners should be the only ones getting filthy rich? I make 11.50 an hour and can barely pay my bills, and work for a 5 Billion dollar company. Is that fair? Why am I not worth more building hospital storage equipment than those guys are playing ball? Most of the money goes to the people who have the money anyway. At least now if you are lower class but are a great athlete you can hit the jack pot.

[khef]

They should make half the cars go the opposite direction during a nascar race.

[dolph]

Lose that stupid f'ing shootout in hockey. I agree with Khef, but I'd also like to see pedestians on the track. Allow them infield access for free during green light racing. Also make the teams take injured players off the field while the game is still in play in the NFL. It is supposed to be the 100 yard war and they don't stop war for the injured.

[Rock Monster]

I thought of another while watching football this weekend. If a penalty can be marked out for the full yardage, do it. No more of the "half the distance to the goal" crap. If you're on your own 16, and punch a guy in the face, you should be backed up to the 1, not the 8. If a whole penalty can't be marked out, the ball should be placed on the 1 yard line.

[cuppie]

If I were commissioner of the NHL I would get rid of a bunch of teams. Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Phoenix, San Jose, Anaheim, Columbus, and Nashville to start out with. Seriously, Florida which never sees snow needs 2 teams? California needs 3? ARIZONA???? They've over extended their market. Either get rid of the teams altogether or move them to places that actually understand hockey have ice and snow and would give a big enough fan base. I'm thinking they need to put a team back in Hartford and Winnepeg at least. Also they need to redo all of the divisions. I think the Original 6 needs to be in the same division or at least the same conference. Bring back those awesome rivalries.

[raudy]

hockey needs to contract and move half its teams to canada, half in the us. the teams would have better talent (with 20-22 teams) making the games more fun to watch for the casual fan. rivalries would develop easier as well. and theres nothing like a US team vs. CAN team finals every year.