Minor things that annoy you-sports edition

[Verlanka]

* The Jets not ending up in Manhattan

They actually were in Manhattan in the early 1960s before moving to the Queens.

* Power 5 schools who schedule FCS opponents, and the fact that those games count

On that note, FCS schools who schedule D-II and D-III opponents.

* Arbitrary rules about what can be on your shoes, hats, socks, etc. Shoe color.

At least the NBA removed the restriction on what colored shoes a player can wear.

[SSOWorld]

When did the catering to the military start in sports? I'm talking about presentation of colors, fight songs, flyovers, recognition of soldiers attending a game.  Now we get bombarded with commercials for Navy Federal Credit Union and USAA (Granted they will be useful to the sailor/solder that could use them.) in addition to the services recruiting.  Plus teams (NFL in particular) wearing colors (pink in the past, camouflage at times as well).

The fact that pro and amateur sports have different rulesets.  Classic cases in American Football are the onside kick rule (NFL, kicking team can false start as they must stand on line until ball is kicked where as college can still charge the line), NBA has the tip off after a tied ball, Amateur has the "possession arrow".

[Brandon]

When did the catering to the military start in sports? I'm talking about presentation of colors, fight songs, flyovers, recognition of soldiers attending a game.  Now we get bombarded with commercials for Navy Federal Credit Union and USAA (Granted they will be useful to the sailor/solder that could use them.) in addition to the services recruiting.  Plus teams (NFL in particular) wearing colors (pink in the past, camouflage at times as well).

September 11, 2001.  We didn't have anywhere near this much until them.

[Beltway]

Punts should be counted in the turnover stats.  If you didn't score, it's a turnover.  The attitude toward punting drives me crazy.

A punt is not a simple turnover.  It is designed to move the line of scrimmage 45+ yards down the field, and if the field of play is less than that, to down the ball within 5 to 10 yards of their goal line if possible.  The punt play itself provides a higher chance that the -receiving- team might mishandle the ball and turn it back over to the punting team.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

When I don't have control no. 41 in an orienteering course. However I'm the incumbent regional champion, and the course where I won the title didn't feature it.

[MNHighwayMan]

If you don't want to have kickoffs anymore fine but just start at the 25.  Why do I have to watch the kick into the endzone and wait through yet another commercial.

To be clear, I want the old kickoff rules back. Kicking off from the 30, removing the rule about balls landing in the end zone being automatic touchbacks, and no stupid rules about needing all ten kicking team players being on the line of scrimmage/not being able to get a running start. This would make kick returns and onside kicks interesting again.

If players/coaches think the former rules are too dangerous, they can still play them as the rules are currently written. But legislating the fun out of kickoffs is stupid, and don't even get me started on that 4th and 15 punt nonsense.

[SP Cook]

USAA and NFCU are private businesses unendorsed by and unaffiliated with the DoD.   

USAA is an "Texas insurance exchange"  which is a legal entity that only a lawyer or a CPA could differentiate from a mutual insurance company.  A mutual is just an insurance company where the insureds own the company, not stockholders.  It limits its customers to DoD related people, which is also not unusual in the insurance industry.  State Farm started out only insuring farmers, GEICO only insuring government employees, etc.  There are still plenty of insurance companies that only sell to people in specific jobs.  The Seafarers union has its own car insurance branch  due to the long time their cars spend in storage, for example. 

Navy Federal is just a credit union.  It used to be just for civilian Navy employees in the DC metro until it became an on-line mostly thing that caters to civilian and duty DoD employees. 

Both pay rack rate for whatever commercials they run during sports events or anything else.

[SSOWorld]

When did the catering to the military start in sports? I'm talking about presentation of colors, fight songs, flyovers, recognition of soldiers attending a game.  Now we get bombarded with commercials for Navy Federal Credit Union and USAA (Granted they will be useful to the sailor/solder that could use them.) in addition to the services recruiting.  Plus teams (NFL in particular) wearing colors (pink in the past, camouflage at times as well).

September 11, 2001.  We didn't have anywhere near this much until them.

Never Forget.  Right.

[Buck87]

If you don't want to have kickoffs anymore fine but just start at the 25.  Why do I have to watch the kick into the endzone and wait through yet another commercial.

I find the proposal to give the Scoring team (TD/FG) or Scored Upon Team (Safety) an automatic 4th and somewhere around 15-25, on about their own 25-30 yard line quite fascinating, in lieu of a Kickoff/Free Kick

Most times, said team will Punt. If they really need the ball back, they'll go for the 1st Down on the 1 play. And statistically, supposedly anyway, the probabilities are higher to covert a 4th and 15 compared to a successful Onside Kick recovery. Fail, tho, and you give the other team exceptionally great Field Position

The AAF tried a rule like this, since one of the goals of that league was to test out various things to see if they'd be viable in the NFL.
Too bad that league folded so soon, without giving enough data points to really be able to properly evaluate this rule change.

And it looks like the new XFL is keeping kickoffs, but moving the kicking spot further back to discourage touchbacks.

[Henry]

All Bears (and Vikings) fans should know this answer: The Lambeau Leap! It's the most annoying tradition ever, and every time a Packers player scores a TD, it makes me want to look away in disgust.

Also, dunking on the goalposts. This is not the NBA! Leave that to the guys on the court.

[SSOWorld]

All Bears (and Vikings) fans should know this answer: The Lambeau Leap! It's the most annoying tradition ever, and every time a Packers player scores a TD, it makes me want to look away in disgust.

Also, dunking on the goalposts. This is not the NBA! Leave that to the guys on the court.

On the former - well you could do the Soldier Leep.  I would imagine that the Vikings might call it the Skol Leap ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[texaskdog]

Punts should be counted in the turnover stats.  If you didn't score, it's a turnover.  The attitude toward punting drives me crazy.

A punt is not a simple turnover.  It is designed to move the line of scrimmage 45+ yards down the field, and if the field of play is less than that, to down the ball within 5 to 10 yards of their goal line if possible.  The punt play itself provides a higher chance that the -receiving- team might mishandle the ball and turn it back over to the punting team.

Sometimes long bomb throws are picked off too.  Still a turnover.

[Beltway]

A punt is not a simple turnover.  It is designed to move the line of scrimmage 45+ yards down the field, and if the field of play is less than that, to down the ball within 5 to 10 yards of their goal line if possible.  The punt play itself provides a higher chance that the -receiving- team might mishandle the ball and turn it back over to the punting team.

Sometimes long bomb throws are picked off too.  Still a turnover.

They can be batted down if there is no advantage to intercepting, especially if it was on 4th down.  Then the defense gets the ball at the line of scrimmage.

Can't do that on a punt.  There is a planned and strategic move of the line of scrimmage on a punt.

[texaskdog]

A punt is not a simple turnover.  It is designed to move the line of scrimmage 45+ yards down the field, and if the field of play is less than that, to down the ball within 5 to 10 yards of their goal line if possible.  The punt play itself provides a higher chance that the -receiving- team might mishandle the ball and turn it back over to the punting team.

Sometimes long bomb throws are picked off too.  Still a turnover.

They can be batted down if there is no advantage to intercepting, especially if it was on 4th down.  Then the defense gets the ball at the line of scrimmage.

Can't do that on a punt.  There is a planned and strategic move of the line of scrimmage on a punt.

Still a turnover

[Beltway]

Sometimes long bomb throws are picked off too.  Still a turnover.

They can be batted down if there is no advantage to intercepting, especially if it was on 4th down.  Then the defense gets the ball at the line of scrimmage.  Can't do that on a punt.  There is a planned and strategic move of the line of scrimmage on a punt.

Still a turnover

Then I suppose you could say that about a field goal or kickoff as well.

[SSOWorld]

Sometimes long bomb throws are picked off too.  Still a turnover.

They can be batted down if there is no advantage to intercepting, especially if it was on 4th down.  Then the defense gets the ball at the line of scrimmage.  Can't do that on a punt.  There is a planned and strategic move of the line of scrimmage on a punt.

Still a turnover

Then I suppose you could say that about a field goal or kickoff as well.

Beltway has a POINT.

[texaskdog]

Sometimes long bomb throws are picked off too.  Still a turnover.

They can be batted down if there is no advantage to intercepting, especially if it was on 4th down.  Then the defense gets the ball at the line of scrimmage.  Can't do that on a punt.  There is a planned and strategic move of the line of scrimmage on a punt.

Still a turnover

Then I suppose you could say that about a field goal or kickoff as well.

Beltway has a POINT.

Okay I'll punt then

[Brandon]

Sometimes long bomb throws are picked off too.  Still a turnover.

They can be batted down if there is no advantage to intercepting, especially if it was on 4th down.  Then the defense gets the ball at the line of scrimmage.  Can't do that on a punt.  There is a planned and strategic move of the line of scrimmage on a punt.

Still a turnover

Then I suppose you could say that about a field goal or kickoff as well.

Beltway has a POINT.

Three, actually, between the goalposts.

[texaskdog]

Sometimes long bomb throws are picked off too.  Still a turnover.

They can be batted down if there is no advantage to intercepting, especially if it was on 4th down.  Then the defense gets the ball at the line of scrimmage.  Can't do that on a punt.  There is a planned and strategic move of the line of scrimmage on a punt.

Still a turnover

Then I suppose you could say that about a field goal or kickoff as well.

Beltway has a POINT.

Three, actually, between the goalposts.

Yes, score.  My point about all of this is punting is treated as a valiant effort by the team for a first down but they fail and they are "FORCED" to punt.  Should anything go wrong the punting team is not held responsible because they had no choice. Rather with the use of analytics there are other options.  The team chooses to give the ball away because they have more confidence in their defense than their offense.  Still a turnover.

[ilpt4u]

All Bears (and Vikings) fans should know this answer: The Lambeau Leap! It's the most annoying tradition ever, and every time a Packers player scores a TD, it makes me want to look away in disgust.

I find the digust more in the fact that the Fudgies scored the TD, not so much in the Lambeau Leap

Now, what I find truly annoying: The ridiculous "IN-COM-PLETE" chant at Mile High, any time the Broncos opponent throws an Incomplete Pass. Its a louder cheer for that than a Sack or a TD. Completely misplaced priorities. Must be that lack of oxygen...

[texaskdog]

That stupid White Stripes song you hear at every football game

[Big John]

Dealing from stadium calls, the Vikings horn whenever a play is made

[SSOWorld]

All Bears (and Vikings) fans should know this answer: The Lambeau Leap! It's the most annoying tradition ever, and every time a Packers player scores a TD, it makes me want to look away in disgust.

I find the digust more in the fact that the Fudgies scored the TD, not so much in the Lambeau Leap

Now, what I find truly annoying: The ridiculous "IN-COM-PLETE" chant at Mile High, any time the Broncos opponent throws an Incomplete Pass. Its a louder cheer for that than a Sack or a TD. Completely misplaced priorities. Must be that lack of oxygen...

Wah-wah-wah! (what follows the chant)

Nowadays - the announcers of multiple stadiums will taunt opponents with "Thiiirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrddddd Dowwwwwwwwwwnnnn"

[texaskdog]

College bands that play CONSTANTLY and only know one song, that's you Oklahoma.  How about bands just play once in a while instead of on every play.

[wanderer2575]

The whole concept of "pass interference".  Isn't it the job of the defense to prevent the other team from completing passes?

What do you propose they call it instead of "pass interference"?

How about "The defender doing their job".   B4ecause that's what it is.  Now, I can see throwing a flag if a defender body slams the receiver to prevent a catch - that's covered under unnecessary roughness.  But calling a penalty when a defender knocks the ball away as the receiver is about to catch it is ludicrous.  Time to let the players play the game.

I agree.  What really annoys me about defensive pass interference is the penalty, especially in the NFL.  Spotting the ball at the point of the foul and granting what sometimes is a huge yardage gain assumes the receiver would have caught it.  Plenty of missed long throws clearly demonstrates that isn't always so.

Dealing from stadium calls, the Vikings horn whenever a play is made

And the gong every stadium sounds on third down.  It was cute the first thousand times, but the novelty has worn off.

When did the catering to the military start in sports? I'm talking about presentation of colors, fight songs, flyovers, recognition of soldiers attending a game.

... football field-size American flags, etc.  And this is where I'm conflicted about players taking a knee during the national anthem.  On the one hand, I'm annoyed by someone hijacking someone else's event to promote his personal views.  (I also wonder, if a player is so motivated to protest, whether and how he does so during the other 167 hours and 50 minutes of the football week.)  On the other hand, one can argue that the full-blown staged patriotic and military presentations have hijacked the games and the players have no say about their having to be there during the show.  At one time, the U.S. military was actually paying the NFL for the privilege of putting on these displays; I don't know if that still happens.