If we can make one sports decision to effect needed change what would it be?
 

Ok, we can now appoint ourselves GM or manager, owner or commissioner for a day in any sport... what do we do and why?

Assuming ultimate power:

I'd put a salary cap in place in both the Majors and the NHL

I'd slap the shit out of any player who was so greedy that they wouldnt play if they didnt make huge seven, or eight figure salaries

I'd say salary limits in sports, primarily baseball.

when I was a kid I used to argue how the players deserved the money. They had to stay in shape and train all year. Spent massive amounts of time away from family and friends. Their careers were over at young ages and then they had no major income.

But today while maybe still valid on some points the amount of money is outrageous and in most cases undeserved.

Major League Baseball would immediatelty get REVENUE SHARING consolidated at the at the team level while still allowing local markets to keep revenue generated locally at each park for things like concessions, parking, etc. Television revenue and ticket revenue goes into the pot for equal shares among all teams.

I agree totally with all of you. Baseball is out of control. Whenever a team has a 180 million dollar payroll and can pick up a Randy Johnson out of the clear blue... there's a big big problem. The Yankees pay more in luxury tax sanctions than some teams pay for their whole payroll. Baseball is in trouble.

Something simple like execution of anyone who dopes of any form. Steroids, blood doping, stimulants, you name it. Get rid of cheating and let's see what humans can do.

That's just my personal bit of hatred.

I'd put in a salary cap in the NHL and make sure there was no strike next year.

I would dismantle the Yankees and sell Jeter to a Japanese team for a bowl of rice and some tuna rolls.

I would hire Bob Costas as vice-commisioner of baseball and allow him to make any changes he sees fit.

I would ignore all the suggestions for inane rule changes(red line, goal line, pad size, icing) in the NHL, and hold my refs accountable for calling the exisiting rules at ALL TIMES(3rd period, overtime, playoffs, etc..). Too many blown calls, and you're outta here. The scoring in the league would skyrocket, as well as the sports overall popularity.

I'm sneaking in with the most obvious, and by far the best answer.

Install a playoff system for the Championship of college football.

That would be third on my list, after MLB and putting hits out on the following:

Myles Brand
Bud Selig
Derek Jeter
Carl Pohlad
Albert Belle's hips
Glenn Davis' back

:D

Lifetime bans for doping.

Athletes only get a slap on the wrist at best for doping convictions. Ban them from competition for life.

I would eliminate all forms of interchange rule in every sport. endurence and stamina is just as vital part of an athlete than speed and power. The sport should always be for the players first and the spectators second. Every team should have a limited number of substitutes (approx 3). It brings a whole new strategic element to a game. Just think how good ice-hockey, basketball and gridiron would be if the athletes were required to do more than a few minutes if work at a time. Much more interesting to watch too when the game isnt being stopped to interchange/sub teams every few minutes. Just play the bloody game. Interchange rule is the bane of all sports.

I'd ban Scott Boras from representing MLB players.

FRICKIN HYSTERICAL! :lol: :lol:

I disagree with this... Hockey is MUCH MUCH faster now due to shorter, more intense shifts... Players play with more intensity... the game would slow down too much... I like hockey being the fastest sport.

As for football... I don't quite understand... You mean not being able to sub off tired players? Once again this would degrade the quality of play as when you are tired you make more mental errors.

Something i WOULD argue for, would be the elimination of stoppage time for commercials

I'd add more female dancers to all sports.

especially golf

"When I was in the rough on 13, I look into the woods and see two fat bikers having sex. Now, how am I supposed to chip with THAT going on?!?" :p

I would implement widespread changes as to how the players are compensated. Something like revenue sharing but it would also take in consideration the team's record as well as individual performance. In other words, if you produce you make more money. If your team finishes at the top of the standings you make even more money.

That's hilarious.... down with the evil empire!

No doubt that adding a college football playoff system should be #1. Every other division from pop warner to the pros has a playoff system except NCAA D-1. WTF! :mad:

Ban team orders (fall back and let your teammate take first) in all forms of auto racing.

amen

every time I see that shit it makes me sick

I'd make Johan Cruijff president of the world.

If not possible, then i'd appoint him coach of the Dutch football team (real football: soccer) and furthermore give him my allmighty powers and let him decide about eveything.

Definately Salary Cap with Teeth and Revenue Sharing in Baseball, if not the Yankees can continue to buy the peanent year after year. No other franchise can compete on a fair level.

I would limit player's saleries to $200,000 a year no matter who they were. And when one of them would start bitching about it, I would smack them upside thier head, scream at them,"YOU'RE PLAYING A FUCKING SPORT FOR A LIVING FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!!!", and then I would fire said idiot and tell him or her to go get a real job.

So the owners get all the money? Yeah, that's a way to run a league.

Well, considering that most stadium projects are funded with tax money that is never seen again, perhaps part of the money could be placed back in the community and fund various non-sport projects.

Oh wait, that's just too simple.

Teams already do a lot of things like that. Even with adding more, there is still way too much money going to the owners to even be near fair for anyone.

I know it seems like players are WAY overpaid, but that is because of our desire to watch them compete. We are willing to pay the prices the owners charge to see the competitions, and the players deserve their fair share instead of the owner getting most of the cash.

For the NHL i would divide the divisions like baseball, an american and canadien league.That way you bring rivalrys back in the game,and also help canadien teams with the low money exchange.

Honestly, that wouldn't work, because in baseball (and football as well) the leagues are essentially equal.

In the NHL, there are six (I think) Canadian teams. So just with the numbers it wouldn't work.

Now, once the lockout ends and a couple US teams are contracted, then you might have an easier time trying to do it. I do like the idea, though.

In Hockey I'd make the rinks bigger. International Size. It's only the owners greed that keeps this from happening. They are sacrificing the enhancement of the game esp on TV for a few extra rows of paid seating.

If you have a larger ice surface like when we play in the olympics it completely opens the game, rewards the skaters and speedsters and makes it real difficult to trap.

That is all.

Then get ready for the slowest, most boring game you have ever watched in your life. I don't know if you were watching the Stanley Cup Finals this year, but when both teams started icing the puck, causing a whistle to be blown every two seconds, it was the most infuriating thing in the world.

Initially, the same thing would happen if players were called for every infraction that occurred on the ice. The ref would have to blow the whistle every 10 seconds, and the pace of the game would slow to a crawl as the refs sort out every penalty. Eventually, teams would learn to stop getting so many penalties, but then you have players who would be afraid of doing anything at all. No more hits or fast skating, because who wants to play an entire game a man down?

The purpose of a referee at the NHL level is not to call everything he sees. It's to maintain a certain amount of civility and order, while keeping the flow of the game entertaining. Missed calls happen, but like I've said a million times before, it's a lot harder when you're on the ice, instead of in the stands.

screw salary caps, I say there should be ticket price caps.

But then concession prices would be even higher.

The problem with that is the money for players' salaries has to come from somewhere. If the players' salaries don't change, and the price of tickets go down, the rest of the money will have to be made elsewhere, and you can bet it will be the fan that pays.

How has no one said this yet?

NO more DH in the AL of MLB. That is the lamest rule in all of sports. Be a man! Hit the ball. Hell Babe Ruth started off as a pitcher. Thank God there was no DH rule back then....

i always hated that games ended in a tie in hockey. my way would be a shootout after the overtime period. winning team gets two points for the win and the losing team still gets 1 point for the overtime loss. i think a shootout would bring back some fans interest. something that hockey is desaperatley needing.

A lot of people like the DH, and the fact that they would rather see a real hitter other then an automatic out in the lineup.

And as for Babe Ruth, he was on pace to be one of the great pitchers in history before he was moved to the outfield to keep his bat in the lineup everyday, so you could argue that the lack of a DH HURT him there.

Let's see, if I was commissioner of baseball, I'd:

1. Install a salary cap (not that this hasn't been metioned previously)
2. Install revenue sharing for local television contracts
3. Get rid of those stupid painted pennants on the walls of stadiums. You are to actually fly a real pennant up a real flag pole. Is it that hard?
4. Stop in-game advertisments on the T.V. contracts by banning them in the next television contract. I need to see Joe Morgan talking to a B actor on the "Verizon in-game convesation brought to you by Verizon" like I need a hernia operation. Call the damn game.
5. Eliminate group ownership of teams to the extent of 49% or below. ONE person should be accountable for the team. Corporations are NOT to own baseball teams - winning baseball teams are counter-productive to corporate philosphys - they aren't put together to make money.
6. I'd give myself a bonus, leave the office early, and go to the game. You get pretty good seats as the commissioner, you know. Just not sure if you get free beer.
EDIT: Rule 5a: Commissioner gets free beer at games.

I agree with everything there, as long as you make me President and CEO of baseball (Bob DuPrey's job) and extend the free-beer benifits to me :D

I'm gonna go a little off the beaten path here and say I would switch the NFL overtime rules to be the same as those in college. I think NCAA overtime is some of the most exciting action in any football. Oh, and no ties, thats bull, keep playing until you have a winner.

Oh and getting rid of all that B(C)S in NCAA football is up there, along with horribly strict drug/steroid/doping/etc policies in all sports.

Ah and one more: I would personally implode the Staples Center, with the entire Laker team in it, except Derek Fisher(is he still on the Lakers? I dont know, I like that guy).

Totally irrelevant, but isn't he the C.O.O.? I thought I saw that somewhere and it only stuck in my mind, cuz like what the hells a COO?

I believe you're right. That's "chief operating officer", not "chief executive officer." Thanks :)

ban michael schumacher from F1 =)

good call. i forgot about that one.

also with the nfl, if a coach challenges the play and wins, he should be able to keep his challenge and not lose it

Ban the DH rule and get rid of artificial turf.

Then every team would have cheerleaders and anytime I was in town they would all have to come up to my skybox for my daily get together..... screw that, I want a moving box that will take me to any part of the stadium that way I could see the game from every angle.

Back to the cheerleaders, there would have to be at least five with me at all times and lots of party stuff, ie hors d oveurs and cold beverage of choice.

WELL SAID, INDEED!

I would make all undersirably figured lady tennis pros wear full length dresses when competing and permit others like Maria Sharapova wear bikinis if they so choose. Plus men should only use wooden rackets - power tennis is so boring now.

As for Formula 1, the domination of Ferrari this season is just killing the sport. And there is no end of that domination in sight either !! The problem is, I can't think of anyway which could improve the situation.