There are many things wrong with the National Football League today. Players face no punishment for committing domestic abuse. Others, like Antonio Brown, are subject to harsh fines for wearing shoes honoring Muhammad Ali. Meanwhile, the league accepted Jerick McKinnon’s Harambe cleats.
The NFL has been inconsistent on many decisions but one rule has stayed the same — ties.
Ties are increasingly common in football, with five occurrences since 2012.
On Oct. 23, the Seahawks and the Cardinals tied 6-6. After this, I don’t like the idea of ties.
Let’s face it, ties are a slap in the face to NFL fans. There isn’t a clear winner and it’s an anticlimactic way to end a game.
I think controversial instances like ties explain the drop in sports ratings.
Outside of the politics and player management, the competition needs some changes.
The NFL isn’t alone — the Canadian Football League has its share of ties.
The NCAA overtime system, that forces a winner, is a system worth examining for both leagues.
There is no time limit in college football overtime periods. In the NFL, overtime periods are 15 minutes.
It’s healthy for the sport. Not having a clear winner is unacceptable and embarrassing.
Football fans want a good finish. The Seahawks-Cardinals game was anything but good.
Now both teams must live with a tie in the 2016 season.
It’s a blemish on a team’s season and almost as bad as losing. No team wants to have a tie in the record book.
The NFL must ditch the rule and let the clock run until one team wins.
It will keep the fans invested in the game, waiting to see who wins or loses.
However, letting a game run until a tie is broken would affect programs running after the game.
Any football fan could care less about delaying a late-night talk show. They want an exciting finish with a clear winner.
This isn’t soccer, it’s football.
Football draws a large audience. Eliminating ties will help improve ratings.
Luis Torres can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @TheLTFiles