Really agree about the bars needing to be hidden.
As for the part about sprinting 5 to 7 seconds, people may feel like they can run top speed after that but even if they feel they are at top speed they will be slowing down. Also, it isn't like these players are completely fresh standing out there in shorts and a t-shirt. They have the added weight of the pads and the fatigue from the game. I think given all that by the end of the game 5 second is a very generous estimate.