Cut commercials, not plays

2008-10-22T17:12:17-04:00

2008-10-21T16:15:36-04:00

2008-10-22T16:15:08-04:00

181

CuseFanInSoCal

San Diego 190925

5 I wonder how 20-30 minute quarters, with the clock only stopping for time outs, injuries, instant replay (switch to an NFL-style challenge system, so that no one wastes time reviewing a meaningless play, and the polite fiction that every play is reviewed drops out of favor), penalties, and change of possession would work? I mean, someone would actually have to analyze a lot of game film to figure out how long quarters would actually have to be, but it would make things a lot more predictable. 3122189

2008-10-22T13:25:04-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/171/093/thumb/BCS_Trophy.jpg 219 OH

FOOTBALL REIGNS SUPREME

Columbus 171393

4 Amen, down with the onslaught of borish commercials. 3119719

2008-10-22T11:55:28-04:00

FortySeven

Saint Charles 537222

3 yet when two pass happy schools get together (OU vs Kansas, 10/18/08), the game goes beyond four hours. Huh, go figure. I do hate commercials though ... unless it's the Super Bowl (hint to advertisers). Commercials tend to take the passion out of the fans, the teams, and the viewers at home ... sometimes, offensive drives can lose their momentum due to all the standing around. 3118391

2008-10-21T21:55:21-04:00

The Ripper

Chicago 589211

2 Please get it straight. The 40/25 second play clock rule change has had almost no impact on the number of plays. The reason for the drop in plays is due to the clock restarting after out of bounds plays when the ball is whistled ready for play. 3114128

2008-10-21T17:55:59-04:00

the_angry_gobbler

Jacksonville 589151

1 Way Way way Way Way Way Way Way Way 2 many commercials. 3112695

<div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://img.fannation.com/upload/si_blog_post_images/t1_mitchell.jpg" alt="T1_mitchell" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes">SMU has been hurt the most by the new clock rules. Jim Cowsert/Icon SMI </div> </div> Jay Christensen produces <a href="http://thewizofodds.com/" target="_blank">The Wiz Of Odds</a>. Back in the day, nobody complained about the length of games. Everybody showed up, had a good time and left. Those were the days. But since 2006, the Football Rules Committee has been toying with the clock rules in an attempt to reduce the length of games. It's called "speeding up the game." That's code for "we've become so greedy that we need even more time for commercials." The latest attempt to get things moving has been the institution of a 40/25 clock for the 2008 season. The average length of a game is 3:11, down from 3:23 in 2007, according to statistics compiled by Marty Couvillon of <a href="http://cfbstats.com/" target="_blank">cfbstats.com</a>. The downside has been a dramatic reduction in plays. The average game has lost 8.8 plays, and of the 119 teams in Division I-A, 100 have lost plays. Southern Methodist averaged 75.08 plays in 2007. In 2008, the Mustangs are averaging only 59.5, a loss of 20.75 percent. Clemson is down 18.62 percent. Vanderbilt 18.18. Twenty-five teams have losses exceeding 10 percent. It's almost as bad as the reeling economy. On the other end of spectrum, only two teams have experienced gains greater than 10 percent. Oklahoma's plays are up 15.49 percent, Duke is up 15.15 percent. They are exceptions to the 40/25 rules. To put the losses into perspective, consider this: Each team has lost an average of 4.4 plays. Over 12 games, that's 52.8 plays. In 2007, each team averaged 71.71 plays. Factor that into 52.8. By season's end, each team will have lost about 73.6 percent of one game. If you're fine with that, go on your merry way. But considering the skyrocketing price of tickets, fans should be outraged they are getting less for more. Next time, the Football Rules Committee should look into cutting the number of commercials instead of plays to reduce the length of games. We all know that's not going to happen. Not everyone at The Sweep thinks the new clock rules are evil. For Andy Staples' take on the situation, <a href="/si_blogs/the_sweep/posts/16461" target="_blank">click here</a>. 16402 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/519/701/thumb/christensen_jay.jpg 0 CA

Jay Christensen

Los Angeles 520141