a modest proposal
The NFL draft exists to replenish players. Teams that don't subject their starters to a full season's abuse (i.e. teams that, like the Indianapolis Colts, don't play their starters in the final game and either actively tank or [as Tony Dungy did] passively allow the other team to win) are clearly at less need to replenish players -- and should be penalized by losing their first-round picks in the NFL draft.
It's reasonable, and it would end the disgusting charade of a football game we saw last night. Indianapolis tanked their game, not only to "protect their starters," but to ensure Tennessee (a division rival) earned a worse draft pick through their 10-6 record.
The Colts have damaged the integrity of the game far more than Michael Vick ever could, and I'm astonished Roger Goodell cares so much about the latter and not at all about the former.
Comments
I love this idea, but these are some murky waters ... as in, how can you tell if a team or coach is rolling over and playing dead? There are some obvious cases (like Dungy last night), but what about teams like Pittsburgh, who rested Big Ben yesterday, but played pretty hard with Charlie Batch?
Posted by: Tony M. | December 31, 2007 01:09 PM