Dumbest ideas the NFL had

[racepug]

But you have incidents where a guy is moving in for a perfect hit only to have the receiver drop his own head, make it helmet to helmet...and the penalty ends up being called on the defender. That's an absolute joke. Very obvious knockout blows where the safety clearly has no interest in the ball should be called. But pure football hits need to remain.

I saw an even better example in the UGa beatdown of Mich. the other day when a UGa linebacker performed an absolute textbook tackle on a Mich. receiver. I mean, you couldn't have drawn it up any better. Guys like Chuck Bednarik wouldv'e been ecstatic. But, no - the UGa guy was called for "targeting" even though the shot he gave the Mich. guy was to the midsection. It's a shame when beautiful tackles like that one get penalized.

[racepug]

This big idea was mostly from owners but the league didnt have a problem with it ... replacing grass fields with PolyTurf.

Seeing the Orange Bowl with an artificial surface just blew my mind. I can't help but wonder if it was done because artificial surfaces had just become "a thing" back then even though there's no obvious reason to do that in a climate like Miami's.

[racepug]

Changing sudden death overtime from coin flip to allowing both teams having the ball.

On this I'm afraid that I can't disagree with you more. I never liked that O.T. could end on a single drive (or even on a single play: remember DET - CHI in 1980?) in the N.F.L. Matter of fact I think the N.F.L. does it just right these days. Absolutely perfect, in my view.

[BD Sullivan]

This big idea was mostly from owners but the league didnt have a problem with it ... replacing grass fields with PolyTurf.

Seeing the Orange Bowl with an artificial surface just blew my mind. I can't help but wonder if it was done because artificial surfaces had just become "a thing" back then even though there's no obvious reason to do that in a climate like Miami's.

It was definitely "a thing" at the time, with countless stadiums installing it, including virtually every new one that arrived in that era. The ads from Monsanto (or whoever was hyping) actually put in their copy that it would reduce injuries...

It's clear that the constant sun beating down on the Orange Bowl carpet took a quick toll, because by the last year it was there (1976), it was clearly worn out.

[Bryan]

This big idea was mostly from owners but the league didnt have a problem with it ... replacing grass fields with PolyTurf.

Seeing the Orange Bowl with an artificial surface just blew my mind. I can't help but wonder if it was done because artificial surfaces had just become "a thing" back then even though there's no obvious reason to do that in a climate like Miami's.

It was definitely "a thing" at the time, with countless stadiums installing it, including virtually every new one that arrived in that era. The ads from Monsanto (or whoever was hyping) actually put in their copy that it would reduce injuries...

It's clear that the constant sun beating down on the Orange Bowl carpet took a quick toll, because by the last year it was there (1976), it was clearly worn out.

From an old posting:

I always thought it was odd that there was no uniformity when it came to artificial turf, because in some sense it was a 'player safety' issue. You'd think the NFL would mandate a specific brand/type of turf to be used in league games (hopefully the 'safest' version), but instead you had somewhat of a 'snake oil salesman' aspect with individual companies pitching their artificial turf product to individual NFL owners, citing their own biased scientific studies regarding the benefits of their turf product. The result was that each NFL stadium with artificial turf had its own unique set of problems; what was touted as 'surface uniformity' was in fact the opposite.

The Dolphins had Poly-Turf, which featured longer fake grass blades than AstroTurf. This concept was thought to give more cushion for player impacts, as the big criticism of AstroTurf was its unforgiving feel, but it ended up being a disaster. The fake grass blades would fold over on itself, and the field would become incredibly slick (think Super Bowl V). The Patriots also initially had Poly-Turf, but eventually switched to the shorter Super Turf (while the Dolphins switched back to grass in 1976).

The Steelers' Tartan Turf was weird. As someone else mentioned, it did fit with their roughneck style. If you look at close-up game photos of Steeler games at Three Rivers, the turf looks like cement with stray peanut shells and bits of garbage strewn along the surface. Instead of using fake grass blades like other turfs, Tartan Turf was produced in solid sheets. It was basically a giant, firm square sponge placed atop asphalt. I didn't know this until I looked it up, but 3M stopped producing Tartan Turf in 1974, meaning that Dallas/KC/Pittsburgh installed a product that was immediately discontinued.

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

I heard from several people who knew those fields that said the turf in Dallas/KC/and Pitts had some real problems. One of the big problems with artificial turf is it was basically a carpet over cement. In the Astrodome, players also got cuts from the turf being sharp. Grass has its own problems in terms of player safety because the footing can be so unpredictable. Grass overall is probably the best, although I haven't talked to any players about the synthetics they use now. Feels a lot softer than the artificial turfs from earlier eras.

The first turf was for the Astrodome I believe. They had difficulty growing the grass indoors with that roof, if I remember right.

[racepug]

*Rotating home-field advantage for postseason through mid-70s

I've made tangential reference to this, before. MIA obviously shouldn't have had to travel on its way to S.B. VII but the one that really sticks in my craw is MIA @ K.C. in 1971. Those two teams had the best records in the A.F.C. that year. No way they should've been playing each other in the first round of the playoffs (in my view)!

[SixtiesFan]

This big idea was mostly from owners but the league didnt have a problem with it ... replacing grass fields with PolyTurf.

Seeing the Orange Bowl with an artificial surface just blew my mind. I can't help but wonder if it was done because artificial surfaces had just become "a thing" back then even though there's no obvious reason to do that in a climate like Miami's.

The University of Tennessee in 1968 was (I believe) the first place after the Astrodome to put in artificial turf. I think they called the field at Neyland Stadium Tartan Turf. Tennessee in those days thought they had to do whatever was "new" or the latest "thing." In 2-3 years artificial turf was widespread in both college and pro stadiums.

Tennessee took out the artificial turf and put back natural grass in the early 90s when they found the turf was hurting recruiting.

[Bryan]

I had forgotten this one, and it's not an NFL idea, but the stupidity needs to be mentioned. Does anyone remember about 10 years ago the University of Michigan was commemorating something or other, and they made their QB wear #98 for the entire season because that was the number Tom Harmon wore back in the late 1940's? It made absolutely no sense, and I felt bad for the QB who had to wear #98 because the team wasn't any good and he got slaughtered all year. It's not like the QB knew Tom Harmon or had any connection.

[7DnBrnc53]

Doesn't matter how many games the Lions play---their seasons always seem to last forever.

But I share the sentiment that there's too many teams in the postseason. The NFL is on the cusp of becoming the NHL (or even MLB with that stupid one-game PO). What good is the regular season if mediocrity is rewarded and an 8-9 team conceivably can get hot and/or lucky, win 4 in a row in Jan/Feb and wind up champs?

I feel the same about college bowl games, of which there are now 48 or 49? I just shake my head every time I hear some college kid or coach on a 5-6 team getting all amped over the idea that "If we win today, we'll be 6-6 and bowl worthy." Oh boy!

But $$$$, not sustained excellence, rules. A few more years of greed and the World Series will end in late November and the Super Bowl will be played in March. And every regional pizza chain and garden supply company will be sponsoring a bowl game (actually they already are). I'll probably live to see the College FB playoffs grow from 4 to 8 to 16 teams. It's the American way------more, baby, more.

It's sad. Sports is about what Ken Reed (from League of Fans) calls PAAC (Profit At All Costs). It is truly sad.

Maybe that's why the College Football playoff has it's title game the second week of January (when they should have the semifinals Christmas week, and the title game New Years night). They are setting up for an eventual move to more teams, February, and sweeps. It is ridiculous (not that I watch that sport anymore. I used to follow Penn State, but after what happened in 2011, I started to sour on all college sports).

As for the NFL, Chuck Noll was right. 14 games was fine. 14 games and five playoff teams, with no Thursday or Sunday Night Football (just have MNF. Make Monday Night Great Again!!!!).