It's the fourth quarter and your team is down by two points with 1:47 left...and...
...the KNEEL. The unsportsmanlike, comeback-quashing display of victorious arrogance. It breaks hearts and makes fans run for the exits early. And if you're one of those people who has paid $500 for a seat, you're being robbed.
Let's call the Kneel what it is - Intentional Grounding. It could also be called Unsportsmanlike Conduct or a Palpably Unfair Act. And I think it's high time that it be phased out of football.
One could steal the CFL rule that stops the clock during every dead ball during the last 3 minutes of a half. (quarters must also end with a play) The AFL has a rule stipulating that a team must gain a yard to keep the clock running during the final minute, but that seems a little odd.
If neither of these seems correct, come up with a new rule just for the NFL. An example would be to ban the Kneel if a team is winning by a small margin, 8 or 10 points for instance. That would pacify the guys who say that banning the kneel would cause unnecessary injuries. Or stop the clock in the last 2 minutes. Something unique for the 'purists' who forget that American football derives from the Canadian game.
With the players garnering huge salaries, the TV coverage, and ticket prices, taking the knee is unfair to everyone. We can make the game far more exciting by stopping the clock.
Image property of Sports Illustrated. Sorry guys, I really couldn't find another image of someone kneeling.
New York Giants-Eagles. 1978. Giants try to run the clock out, fumble and Herm Edwards picks up and wins the game. No chance any team pulls that crap off again in this era.
ReplyDeleteThe kneel may be frustrating for some but its classy coaching. Why keep trying to run up the score when the game's in hand? Nothing I hate more than a team up big and still airing it out. It doesn't happen unless its under 2 minutes and there's no chance of a comeback. Teams gameplan their timeouts around the chance of a kneel so its only an option if there's ZERO chance.
The Miracle at the Meadowlands. I know that play well. Hence why there could be a point margin. It's irritating as hell when a team is ahead by one point and they take a knee.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like some high school trickery, not what you'd expect from the highest level of coaching. To quote Herm "You play...to win...the game." And speaking of HS, I've never seen any team that I've covered not resort to the kneel when the game is well in hand.
ReplyDeleteHaving a point margin takes the focus away from winning for simple gimmicks. Like i said, the kneeldown usually never happens outside of the final 2 mins. Forcing a team to gamble away a win isn't worth it.