A Few Words, And Then, Time Permitting, A Few More Words

So by now you've all seen the interview after last week's Eagles-Bengals tie where Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb says he didn't know that the game would end in a tie after one overtime period. The fact that he didn't know that is both unbelievable and completely irrelevant to the actual outcome of the game. And he got killed for saying that, which is somewhat understandable. I mean, yeah, how do you not know that? But it doesn't really matter and is hardly the Crime Against Football And All Of Humanity that we in the media made it out to be. The only thing that worked in McNabb's favor was that it took some of the attention off of how badly he played.

But as far as the overtime rule goes, it's not like Donovan was the only one.

Here's a story from Tuesday where the Steelers' Hines Ward admits he didn't know the overtime rules, either. And the thing about this? That last tie back in 2002? Hines Ward was in it. This story stuns me because I figured somebody would try to write it, but I didn't think anyone else would ever admit to not knowing that rule, especially after all of the heat McNabb took for not knowing it.

But here's the real issue, and it's something I've believed for years: No football organization in the history of America has ever gotten overtime right. And that's all of North America. The NFL, college (which is the worst system ever), high school, the CFL, the XFL, the USFL, the Mexican Desert Sands League, none of them.

Here's what they should do:

1. Coin flip and kickoff to start overtime. None of this "start at the opposing team's 25" business.
2. Play until one team scores.
3. The other team then gets one drive to tie or win the game. The game ends after that drive, regardless of the result.

That's gold, Jerry. GOLD. It doesn't change the way the game is played (which is my biggest problem with the college/HS rules), and it gives both teams an equal opportunity to win the game.

See how smart I am?