Thankfully, I've been able to watch a little bit of college football this season. I have especially enjoyed the late season games leading up to the bowls and the added playoff games. Even though I do enjoy football, especially college football, it's time for another rant. Now, you might think 'why rant? Just stop watching if you don't like it.' Well, it may come to that some day. I know quite a few people who stopped watching pro sports all together. However, I would rather see the game become more sportsmanlike than just stop watching it completely.
Here goes the rant. Frustration number one for me is how redundant the commercials are. A similar group of businesses sponsor NCAA football coverage year to year and they mostly use the same commercials all season. Sometimes they use the same commercials season after season. After two or three weeks of seeing the same commercials during every media timeout they get old, really old; and they stay that way for months.
Frustration number two is pass interference. The rule book certainly has an official definition of what constitutes pass interference. That definition certainly means nothing. I'm convinced that not a coach in the country bothers to teach their players to cover by the rules. In a way, you kind of can't blame them because the truth is that it really doesn't matter what the rule book says. What matters is what any given official is going to enforce, and that tends to be a mystery on any given play. It feels like every play that PI is not called the receiver is complaining and every play that it is called the defensive back is complaining. Basically, someone is going to whine no matter what; and the whining is annoying in and of itself. Why can we not get it right more often? Why can we not complain when the rules are enforced? Why have rules if we are not going to utilize them?
Come to think of it, holding by offensive lineman is a very similar situation. The rule book defines it, but there does not seem to be any consistency is what the officials call. Further, it does not appear that coaches teach players not to hold. I suspect they teach them to keep their man off the quarterback and maybe just warn them to make the holding discreet in hopes it will not be flagged.
Now, I think I have written about this before, but this whole idea of not enforcing rules is something that just bugs the hound out of me. I come at it from a Christian viewpoint. Of course, I realize that the sports world is not a Christian organization (although I'm pleased with how many NCAA football programs do have a strong Christian presence.) Yet, we are supposedly a civilized society. We are supposed to value respect, courtesy, the rule of law, sportsmanship, and so forth. Therefore, if you are going to have rules then you should enforce them.
We hear players, announcers, coaches, and even officials talk about not throwing a flag for infractions that happen "away from the play" or that "do not affect the play." That mindset makes absolutely no sense to me at all. If something is defined as wrong, then it is always wrong. Wrong is not defined by it's effects. Wrong is defined by the rules. When the rules are violated an infraction has occurred.
"O but if they call every foul on every play, the game would take forever." Boo hoo. Teach the players not to break the rules. "But sometimes fouls are strategic." That does not make it okay. "O but it is better to foul than to get beat for a score." That's what is wrong with sports these days. People care more about winning than winning ethically. I look at it from the perspective of the old adage "cheaters never win." If you did not get scored on because you broke a rule, then you really got scored on. If you win a game but you broke the rules, then you really did not win the game. By definition, breaking the rules is cheating and by definition players who break the rules are cheaters. We currently have a whole bunch of cheaters playing at every level of football and probably most other sports. Sadly, it does not seem like too many people care. Few parents, coaches, or announcers are interested in training players to compete according to the rules. Kind of ironic, isn't it, considering the oft' repeated mantra that "sports builds character."
Next point of frustration: sideline reporters. Are they not a waste of time? I mean, it is nice when they report during the broadcast about an injury or something. However, when they give them the stage for their little pregame, pre halftime, pre second half, and post game interviews, they are not adding anything to the experience. Sideline reporters are masters of asking meaningless questions. And coaches are masters of giving meaningless answers. Nobody benefits from those miniature interviews. Why do we keep doing them?
Moving on to another annoying subject: coaches throwing conniption fits (I was not going to say anything about this, but I'm watching the Sugar Bowl and they just showed Kirby Smart acting like a two year old.) I do not care that they are under pressure to win. I do not care that they have to try to manage youngsters (which surely is frustrating.) These men are supposed to be professionals. They are the leaders in their fields and on their campuses. They make obscene amounts of money. Why do we excuse them for acting like toddlers? Think about it. We would not be comfortable with this type of behavior from other professions. You would not be okay with your banker, your doctor, your mechanic, or anyone else in your life acting like that. Why is it considered acceptable from coaches? The Bible warns us to get rid of wrath and anger, yet even Christian coaches are excused for this behavior. It does not make sense.
One more frustrating thing about college football and I will stop. I am sick and tired of what we used to call "hot-dogging" or "show boating." Now, it is just considered "celebrating." Perhaps this is the most subjective of my beefs. Clearly, it is not a problem for most people. To me it seems prideful, undignified, and unsportsmanlike. I can understand some cheering and jumping up and down after a big win, but the "celebrating" has gotten out of hand. Pretty much after every single play somebody is involved with some type of animated gesturing that draws attention to themselves and (to me) looks stupid. Again, we would not accept this in other venues. Imagine if your checker at the grocery store starting pounding their chest, pretending to rip open their shirt, and howling at the ceiling after they handed you your receipt. Okay, you did your job, congratulations. Why do you have to act like you just saved the free world? Seriously, these guys are just carrying out their assignments and they act like they cured cancer. Have some class and dignity. Make the play and go back to the huddle. Save the celebration for after the game.
Okay, I'm done for tonight. Maybe you were entertained, maybe you weren't. But I feel a little better ;-)
