The "If I was Sports Czar".. thread

[SirFozzie]

This is building off the egregious no-call in the Saints-Rams game,and the reaction to the end of the Patriots and Chiefs but I thought about different sports as well, so this is a general "If I was sports czar" thread.

NFL:

Major Penalties (Roughing the Passer, Pass Interference, targeting, etcetera) can be challenged. 2 Challenges (in general) but a successful challenge does not use up a challenge (so basically, unlimited challenges until you fail twice)

Overtime changes: Psuedo College-rules, but instead of starting from the opponent's 25, start them at the 50 or even further back. No XP. Must go for two. That way both teams have an equal and fair shot, but unlike college, you're not pretty much guaranteed points (kickers in the pros being better, generally).

Rosters expanded to 58 players, all of whom can dress on gameday.

MLB:

Teams receiving revenue-sharing must spend at least a certain amount to receive this benefit. Either that or a soft salary floor, if any team doesn't meet it, the players on that team get equal shares of the money added to their contracts (and that sets the base level of their salary going forward).

In a move I'm sure will enrage traditionalists, DH in both leagues

Deliberate "purpose" pitches towards the head or shoulders=Instant Ejection, five game suspension without pay.

NBA:

Teams can draft players out of highschool, but they must be assigned to their G-League team until after what would have been their freshman year in college. And the year counts toward salary and free agent rights.

Edit: Forgot this one: Eliminate the shorter corner three (same distance all the way around. Too bad that rules out the corner three, but meh.) Also, move it back a foot or 18 inches.

Stronger Anti-tanking rules. The draft is a start, but possibly put in a rule that a player can buy themselves out of their contract if they're being sat for tanking reasons. (Up until recently, Robin Lopez was on that list)

The All-Star game is replaced by a drafted 3 on 3 half court challenge. 8 teams of 4 players (I guess top 8 vote getters are drafters?). Games to 21 by 1, two groups of 4, top two qualify, semifinals, finals (Best of 3 only in the finals)

NHL:
Players who use an illegal move (cross-checking, high stick, etcetera) that injures an opponent must sit out at least as long as the player they injured.

Slightly reduce goalie padsize again to open up a bit more scoring.

General:
Any team that receives public funding for a stadium has 20 year "Modell" rights. (for those who don't know what it is, it's an Ohio law what kept the Columbus Crew in Columbus in MLS, Basically, the law states that any pro sports team that plays in a taxpayer-funded stadium must give a local ownership group a chance to buy the team before moving.

what are your Sports Czar moves, popular and unpopuar alike?

[JPhillips]

I'd be red and low to the ground. I'd have a big engine and I'd go very fast. I'd make a sound like distant, foreboding thunder, and that's with the engine turned off. I'd definitely have flames painted somewhere and a steering wheel made out of fine, Corinthian leather. When I flashed by, guys would stop and stare and when I stopped the most beautiful women would ask for a ride to anywhere I wanted to go.

[BYU 14]

1-For Baseball the batter cannot leave the box after he steps in unless he is hurt (fouling a pitch off his ankle)

2-A strict 12 second pitch clock that starts when the pitcher gets the ball. Over 12 seconds it is a ball.

[cartman]

I think I'd be a Ferrari 250GT.

Oh, czar

[JonInMiddleGA]

NFL - the league would be reset to zero, no owner who tolerated "kneeling" would be allowed any future involvement, nor would any player
MLB - the league would be contracted by at least 4 teams, the abomination of the DH would be abolished
NBA - traveling would be a "point of emphasis"
NHL - shootouts would be eliminated, the realistic outcome of a tie would be the result after a single ten minute OT. (if you want to do something funky with OT, I might be swayed to go with a pair of 5 minute OTs, first at 5 on 5 then 4 on 4)

[Atocep]

Baseball needs a free agency overhaul. Club control needs to be cut to 4 years with 2 years of arbitration. Super 2 eligibles need to regain their year of service time that was manipulated from them rather than enter arbitration a year early.

NBA needs to cut the 1 and dones. Can draft out of HS, but once you step on a college campus you're not eligible for the draft again for 2 years.

NFL - Start calling the pick plays, offensive pass interference, lineman too far down field, ect. Stop giving every advantage to the offense. That's a large part of why QBs have become so important the league has to change the rules to make sure they're never getting hurt.

[RainMaker]

NFL

- Make season 18 weeks with 2 byes. Teams would get a bye before they play a Thursday night game. The league gets extra revenue from an extra week of TV. Fans get an extra week of fantasy football. Players get some extra rest.

- Expand both roster and active roster

- Kickoffs have been neutered to the point that its just a boring waste of time. Either bring back the old rules or give the Schiano Rule a try. Benefit of the Schiano Rule is it involves less luck than an onside kick.

NBA

- Shorten season by 10-16 games. Make 1st round of playoffs 5 game series.

- Get rid of the max contract. Make it more like football's salary cap where the best players can make what they're worth. Eliminates the super teams to an extent.

MLB

- Eliminate mound visits. Either replace the pitcher or let him pitch. None of this running out to give him a scouting report every time there is a pinch hitter.

- Relief pitchers get a few pitches off the mound and game begins.

- Once a batter is in the box he's in for the at-bat. He can step out but a pitcher can throw a pitch and it will count.

NHL

- Shorten regular season by 10-20 games.

- I'm with Jon on the OT stuff. But I can't think of a suitable replacement for the current system. Maybe go back to just having ties even though they're tough on the fans. I do hate the idea that you get a point for making OT and losing.

[RainMaker]

I'd also add that I think MLB, NBA, and NHL could benefit from some contraction. Does baseball really need a team in Tampa? Does the NBA really need a team in Atlanta?

[tarcone]

I love the Schiano rule. That is a great idea.

[EagleFan]

NFL
- Change OT rule so that each team gets a possession regardless of the 1st team with the ball scoring a TD

MLB
- No more DH

NHL
- 3 points for a regulation win; make it worth more to actually win the game during regulation instead of just playing for the safe point

NBA
- Nothing that I can think of off the top of my head

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

NHL:
Players who use an illegal move (cross-checking, high stick, etcetera) that injures an opponent must sit out at least as long as the player they injured.

The player needs to be verified out because of injury. So a team doesn't have a minor league call-up flop and be "out" to get another team's star player out indefinitely.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

The player needs to be verified out because of injury. So a team doesn't have a minor league call-up flop and be "out" to get another team's star player out indefinitely.

Yeah, the idea is not a completely terrible one but the holes in it are large enough to drive a truck through. Hockey players already play through a ton of really unspecific injuries (upper and lower body injury anyone?) when the games matter and then sit out when they don't, actually enforcing this would be a nightmare. In addition to your scenario, what do you do with a player who has had a bunch of concussions and then decides to retire with the latest one?

I like 4 on 4 for 5 mins and then 3 on 3 for 5 mins with no shootout and no loser point, personally. Something has to be done about the fact that 80% of the league finishes over .500.

[Young Drachma]

Tennis: Allow on court coaching between sets and mic them up like the NBA

WNBA/College Women's Basketball: Add a 4-point line

Baseball: Shorten games to 5 innings. Allow unlimited substitutions. Open an indoor MLB baseball academy in Finland to entice Pesapallo kids to play American baseball.

[larrymcg421]

NBA: Make the lottery odds start from the middle. The 15th and 16th place teams gets the best odds, then the 14th and 17th get next best odds, then 13th and 18th, and so on until the best team and worst team get the worst odds.