Seems like an easy onside kick defense.

Not necessarily. If they're closer to the ball it's easier to blast it off them and get a bounce. Less time to react.

Yes it is.

When this is all over, which is not going to be for a while, Trump will be re-elected President.

If the kickoff were routinely exciting, it might be worth saving. But kickoffs are generally boring. We'd save a lot of time by just giving each team the ball on the 25-yard line after an opposing score.

We can come up with alternatives

One reason we don't want to get rid of kickoffs is we need them for comeback victories. If you're trailing by a bunch and score, the kickoff is your opportunity to attempt an onside kick, try to recover it and then score again.

Perhaps the biggest argument against eliminating kickoffs is that it ruins the opportunity for the wild comebacks we love.

Really? You think we can't figure out a workaround to this? Here, here are three:

1. After every touchdown, the scoring team has the opportunity to go for it from 20 yards for the chance to retain possession. This would probably work around as often as onside kicks, and we'd get to see a regular football play decided by each team's offense and defense rather than the whims of a funny-shaped ball. If you miss, the opponent gets the ball from the spot.

2. We're eliminating kickers' jobs a bit here, so let's give them a break. Same idea, but with a 60-yard field goal with the ball spotted at midfield. No defense, just a kicker and a holder. I'm guessing that with kickoffs out of the game, teams will prioritize hyper-accurate kickers over strong-legged kickers, so there will be fewer kickers capable of hitting these. If you hit it, you keep the ball from midfield, if you miss, the opponent gets the ball at midfield. We can tweak it if kickers are making 60-yarders too frequently, but kickers generally don't make 60-yarders frequently.


And last but not least ...

3. Teams have the option to attempt onside kicks if they want to. Onside kicks don't have the same inherent dangers as regular kickoffs, so we could eliminate the dangerous type of kickoffs where teams sprint into each other at full speed while still allowing teams to attempt the play where everybody chases a bouncing ball. There would be a rule in place against kicking it deep, to prevent teams from abusing the rule to manipulate the loophole for field position.

I am not a legal expert, how many times do I have to say it?

These are all incredibly stupid suggestions.

I rarely troll.

These are all incredibly stupid suggestions.

Roger Sherman is the only person to have signed all four of the most significant documents in our nation’s early history: the Continental Association from the first Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. He began life as a surveyor and a cordwainer (someone who makes shoes and other items from leather) before establishing himself as a political icon of the American Revolution. He spent the last 30 years of his life devoted to public service, often simultaneously holding multiple high-profile political and judicial positions. Known for his sensibility and control over his emotions, Sherman was, in Thomas Jefferson’s words, “a man who never said a foolish thing in his life.”

1. After every touchdown, the scoring team has the opportunity to go for it from 20 yards for the chance to retain possession. This would probably work around as often as onside kicks, and we'd get to see a regular football play decided by each team's offense and defense rather than the whims of a funny-shaped ball. If you miss, the opponent gets the ball from the spot.

This doesn't make any sense. Teams would just go for it every single time since there's literally no penalty for not scoring and a HUGE reward for scoring.

Heard them talking about this the other day. I think the nflpa suggested this.

Only in the 4th quarter, instead of attempting an onside kick, the kicking team gets a 4th and 15 from their 35 yard line. They make it, they keep the ball. They miss it, the other team takes over on downs. I think this one will gain some traction.

Stealing gimmicks from a semi pro football league would be a bad look.

It replaces a play based on dumb luck (onside kick) with one based on skill and attaches the proper amount of risk. It would be a great move and anyone who disagrees is dumb and probably a criminal.

It's more fun to be a victim

There will never be an effective vaccine. I'll never get one anyway.

Your entire favorite sport is based on dumb luck.

So many people are resistant to change even if it's in their best interests.

If the board liberals support it, it's probably a bad rule.

So many people are resistant to change even if it's in their best interests.

You are a liberal on this board