by Ryan Mercier
One tweet set off a firestorm in my brain today:
First of all, yes it would take a lot for the worst team in the league to beat the Colts. Somehow this year became more embarrassing for the Jacksonville Jaguars than their worst season in franchise history in 2020.
Get past that part and imagine it happened. Sunday Night Football would then become one of the most memorable moments in sports. Hyperbole? No. Think about it. Al and Cris sit down in front of you talking about how they don’t know if an actual game is going to be played or if both teams have decided to take kneel downs for 70 minutes. Is that any weirder than sports life in the time of Covid?
What does the broadcast do for three hours? Actually, forget that. Would it even last three hours? There also doesn’t have to be a series of kneel downs at all. As some have already suggested, just snap the ball and literally hold it for 15 minutes. On 2nd down and 11 at the beginning of the 2nd quarter, repeat that. Al and Cris will have to discuss all kinds of things in the NFL world with a few live look-ins to the “action.” Will one of the teams break the truce and run a play out of nowhere to score? Suddenly, it becomes a real football game with 3:53 left to go in the 3rd quarter or something.
Would this be a mockery to the NFL and football itself? Absolutely! However, if the goal is to make the playoffs, the Chargers and Raiders should do it. It’s a guaranteed trip to the postseason with no chance of earning a home game, anyway. How about this? Player safety! There would be no safer game in NFL history.
Now, maybe the league would step in. Pro Football Talk explains how they would but Rodger Goodell better not. This is must-see television. The ratings would be through the roof and the betting market could be bananas. Not like the NFL needs any boost for national exposure but if this were to happen it would be the lead topic on every sports show. Every single one.
The NFL loves controversy. Blown calls from referees and 4th down decisions drive fans crazy and they crave hearing about it the next day. The sides write themselves. On the one hand, of course you play for the tie and get into the playoffs. On the other, no way can you allow a rival into the postseason and the manly thing to do is to try and beat your opponent. Grumble, grumble, grumble.
Ready, set, go!
Lastly, there’s the fans in attendance. People paid money and made travel arrangements to attend a football game. Is anyone thinking about them?
Uh, yeah. They will be witnesses to one of the most absurd moments in the history of sports. And their team will be guaranteed to head into the playoffs. AND they will get to party all night in Las Vegas! Charge them double!
Goodell, step aside. And for the sake of history, go Jaguars!
Struggling Actor Sports 