ARTICLE OF THE DAY

If I were Commissioner...
by Jonathan Ellerbe
10/27/06

If I were Commissioner of:

1. Major League Baseball, I would shorten the game to six innings.  Time is money, and if people did not have to dedicate three and a half or four hours to go see a game, more people would go and stay from start to finish.  I would also shorten the season and increase the number of playoff teams.  162 games can age a person. Playoffs are where greatness is defined and is where it matters.  I would also add a salary cap so teams like the Yankees and Red Sox cannot buy any player they wanted.

2. NHL, like baseball, I would shorten the season and the length of the game.  Three periods are fun, but it’s the two intermissions that kill you when you are at the game or watching it on television.  Two 25-minute periods and one intermission would be perfect.

3. PGA, or golf in general, I would break golf courses into 6’s.  Front 6, Middle 6 and the Back 6.  18 holes takes a lot of time.  Six and twelve are more reasonable on time and money, plus for the golf fanatic, there are still six more for them to play eighteen. 

4. NASCAR, I would figure out a better way to decide a champion and run every other race in the opposite direction.  Go fast and turn right for once!

5. NBA, I would make the court bigger and let teams play with six, making the games six on six instead of five on five.  I would also make the substitution rules the same as hockey.  The NBA would be better with faster and fresher players.  It would be important to have stars but more important to have a good bench.

6. NFL, I would eliminate preseason games and increase the number of playoff teams.  What a waste of money fans spend on tickets for meaningless games.  More NFL Playoffs would be awesome!

 Just some food for thought…

Until we greet you next week from the Miller Lite Sports Bar, have a great sports weekend and Go Pirates!