Wrong Again

Will the New York Jets ever get it right? That remains to be seen. For now I will let you chew on this. The only two defensive coordinators to win a Superbowl in their first head coaching job with new organizations are Tom Landry and Bill Cowher. Landry went to the Dallas Cowboys in 1960 after spending the previous six seasons as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. Bill Cowher took over for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992 after having spent the previous three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs as their D.C. Landry spent 29 seasons in Big D having won and lost two Superbowls. Cowher spent 15 seasons in the Steel City yielding one Superbowl victory and one loss. It took Landry 11 years to win a Superbowl and it took Cowher his entire coaching career to accomplish the same. Mike Tomlin could very well add his name to this very short and elite list. Making him the quickest to do so in that small class. 

Many of you are going to point out that everyone is an assistant at some point and that they cant all win Superbowls. Surely names like Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick will surface as well. Of course I am sure you will not forget Lovie Smith and John Fox. How much longer are you willing to wait Jets fans?

Don Shula + David Shula = 2 Superbowls

Bum Phillips + Wade Phillips = 0 Superbowls

Jim Mora + Jim Mora Jr = PLAYOFFS!?!? 0 Superbowls

Dick Nolan + Mike Nolan = FIRED 0 no Superbowls

Buddy Ryan + Rex Ryan = ? Superbowls

Overtime = Overrated

Why is it so hard for people to wrap their head around a tie? Why is it so important to have a winner be declared? More importantly why is the crucial outcome of such events decided by a coin flip? The NFL should eliminate overtime. What is the point? Can we just for once be satisfied with two teams being equal on “any given Sunday?” Not Superbowl Sunday of course but the third Sunday in November really should not be a big deal. Should it? The winning percentages straighten themselves out at season’s end anyway to determine all divisional champions as well as Wild Card teams. They have “tie breakers” in place for any possible confusion that may occur. “Winning isn’t everything” right?

I propose two things. First the NFL eliminate overtime completely from the regular season. I know I would be considered crazy to suggest it be eliminated from the playoffs and Superbowl as well so I will not go there. Regular season games will end in a tie at the end of regulation. Playoff games would be decided by letting time run out and continuing on without stopping using just the play clock until someone scores. To make it more challenging, eliminate field goal trys after regulation. Either punt or go for it on 4th down. Imagine the madness as Wade Phillips is rushing the field goal unit on to the field as time is winding down in regulation while Tony Romo and Terrell Owens are waving them off to keep running plays to try and win it in a runoff? Could you imagine that post game press conference with Jerry Jones?

Second I propose the elimination of coin flips all together including at the start of the game. Let’s face it, every team wants the same thing: To win the toss and defer to the second half. So why not just give the road team the ball to start every game and allow the home team to choose which goal to defend? Each team will start half their games with the ball and the other half on defense. In the playoffs the same rule should apply.

And this comes from a guy who bets on the coin toss before every Superbowl. TAILS NEVER FAILS!!!