Roger Goodell wants to end the PAT

[jay moe]

Roger Goodell says PATs could be abolished - ESPN

You know, if he hates the game that much, why doesn't he just do something else for a living?

Stupid idea, let's just do away with kicking all together and change the name of the game, because it obviously wouldn't be football anymore.

 

[3TrueFans]

Stupid idea, let's just do away with kicking all together and change the name of the game, because it obviously wouldn't be football anymore.

It's only barely football now.

 

[CyCy]

Does this mean in the future we will be missing the "Extra Point Highlights" from Sports Center on ESPN.

 

[mcblogerson]

I bet Roger Goodell is secretly a soccer fan.

 

[KidSilverhair]

I have no problem with removing the PAT. There were 5 missed PATs in 1200 attempts this year. It's a formality. Literally nothing would change except maybe less commercials.

Snort*chortle*cough*guffaw

Surely, you can't be serious.

However, this would eliminate the infamous TD-commercial-extra point-commercial-kickoff-commercial "NFL Happy Time Ad Fun Block!" You are, though, going to see more commercial breaks between kickoffs and plays from scrimmage. Book it.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

The real life counter to that argument is NASCAR. NASCAR was printing money and on pace to approach the #1 spot in viewership (albeit...on pace if the growth continued, that was always in question...but it's undeniable that they had stellar growth) in the late 90's and early 2000's. Now, they're consistently losing viewership, and it's 2 fold:

First, they effed with the championship points...repeatedly. Started with 'the chase' after Kenseth had it wrapped up before the last race...the new fans and the consultants (probably) said it wasn't dramatic enough...it's not like the playoffs where it reaches a crescendo, they said...then the superstar (Dale Jr.) didn't make the chase from 11th or 12, I think, then poof...chase is expanded. Then people who won a lot of races and tanked in the rest missed the chase or got a crappy seed. But wait, it's supposed to be about winning...queue another change.

2nd, they broadstroke effed with the cars...repeatedly. Make a level playing field for all the teams was the mantra there, clamped down on the body shape (although admittedly they were getting comical with the roof lines and fender bumpouts), and you can only have so many cars per team...so now, there's so little wiggle room, the huge teams are the only ones who can spend the money to get a little extra, and the drop in viewership has bankrupted the small teams...the only ones remaining are the 'associates' that are basically the extra teams spun off from or completely beholden to the huge owners.

uhh...sorry...\rant....I used to be a fan, haven't watched a race with any sense of giving a **** in a couple years.

But yes, you can fix what isn't broken, sometimes, but you can also break the **** out of it.

This is so true. Races were interesting because cars could actually pass on the track. Now it's all about pit strategy and fuel mileage. You need cautions to try to make up track position instead of passing someone on the track.

 

[cycloneworld]

I'm not sure if I'm for or against something like that, but if you were creating a new sport and one of the rules you came up with was an act that was going to be converted successfully 99.7% of the time anyways and is basically never exciting or interesting you might consider not adding it at all.

I don't have a big opinion one way or another but why change things? What is so wrong about the PAT? People aren't getting injured more frequently on PATs, likely quite the opposite.

The center/quarterback exchange likely has a similar (or higher) success rate. Why not get rid of that and let the quarterback start with the ball?

 

[Rural]

What the hell is wrong with the NFL the way it is??

NO we don't want a European team.

NO we don't want a superbowl in London

NO we don't need more games

NO we don't need to change the scoring

Too late, it's gone.

 

[NenoFone]

Get rid of the place kick and make all PAT and field goals drop kicks

 

[3TrueFans]

I don't have a big opinion one way or another but why change things? What is so wrong about the PAT? People aren't getting injured more frequently on PATs, likely quite the opposite.

The center/quarterback exchange likely has a similar (or higher) success rate. Why not get rid of that and let the quarterback start with the ball?

Changing the snap to having the QB start with it would fundamentally change false start and encroachment penalties which are a much bigger factor than extra points though.

 

[PabloDiablo]

At first, I was pretty offended by the idea but this thread has honestly changed my view. Weird.

I like the idea of getting rid of a nearly automatic point, however; I also really like the idea of re-instituting some rugby style rules. Oh and drop kicks need to come back, Doug Flutie where are you when we need you?!?!

 

[Rhoadhoused]

Remember, the PAT has not always been automatic. It used to be converted at a much, much lower rate. The game has changed and something needs to be done. Maybe just kick it from further away? Sports leagues respond to changes in player skill all the time. Raising the mound in baseball, moving the 3 point line back in college bball, ect.

 

[4Cyclones]

Remember, the PAT has not always been automatic. It used to be converted at a much, much lower rate. The game has changed and something needs to be done. Maybe just kick it from further away? Sports leagues respond to changes in player skill all the time. Raising the mound in baseball, moving the 3 point line back in college bball, ect.

Ya, like narrowing the width of the goal post, for instance , to make the Pat more difficult. How many field goals or extra points have you seen just narrowly get in.

 

[Go2Guy]

Snort*chortle*cough*guffaw

Surely, you can't be serious.

However, this would eliminate the infamous TD-commercial-extra point-commercial-kickoff-commercial "NFL .

Gawd, that is so annoying: Commercial - Kick off - Commercial. That's abut 6-minutes of commercials sandwiching a kickoff, not to mention whatever break they take before/after an extra point.

Regarding PAT's: i"d be ok with changing it up and incentivizing teams to go for 2pts.

 

[wartknight]

Ya, like narrowing the width of the goal post, for instance , to make the Pat more difficult. How many field goals or extra points have you seen just narrowly get in.

Arcade style. Have the goalpost move.

 

[3TrueFans]

I imagine there was some push back when the NFL decided to allow 2 point conversions also. But I agree with Rhoadhoused, the PAT is only in the game now because it was in the game at the beginning when it wasn't a guaranteed point. If the game was just being created now and we knew a PAT would be made 99.7% of the time there's no way it would be added in the same way it is currently.

Personally I like the rugby idea I posted earlier where you kick from 2 yards out wherever you went into the endzone. But that would change the game quite a bit.

I think something like you can either kick a PAT from the 20, which would be a 37 yard field goal, very makeable but not automatic. Or you can go for 2 from like the 5 or 10 yard line, whatever distance makes sense percentage wise to give it a properly higher risk than a PAT for the extra reward.

 

[Mr Janny]

Remember, the PAT has not always been automatic. It used to be converted at a much, much lower rate. The game has changed and something needs to be done. Maybe just kick it from further away? Sports leagues respond to changes in player skill all the time. Raising the mound in baseball, moving the 3 point line back in college bball, ect.

This. I wouldn't be surprised if a proposal to change field goal rules is too much farther down the line. Field goal success rates are sky high compared to where we used to be. We just finished a season where kickers made 87% of their field goal attempts. 10 years ago that number was closer to 80%. 20 years ago it was 75%. 30 years ago it was 65%. There's room for improvement to the game, there.

 

[3TrueFans]

I think in the next 10 years for sure we'll see a change of some kind. That part of the game has become outdated and boring.

 

[longtimeclone]

I would be a fan of moving the PAT back, but I think it would be fun if they created a 3 point conversion where the ball is placed the 10. I think the point value would be high enough that teams would try for it, and it would make the end of some games more interesting.

 

[CycloneErik]

Anything that goes against kickers is something I can support.

The moving or narrower goalposts could be a good idea.
Moving sounds more fun, because it's obnoxious. Narrower is more practical, easier to put together.
Maybe changing something on the angle as well. At least make the extra point a non-formality.