American sports landscape could use facelift

It's a question that everyone gets asked at some point. "If you were the president for a day, what would you change?"

     Well in this case, it's the commissioner, because we're talking about sports. 

     Fans everywhere constantly debate the options. These are the ways I would change major sports as we know them today.

     First sport: The NFL. The current commissioner is Roger Goodell. Recently, he has expressed interest in starting a franchise in London and having games in Mexico. That's a horrible idea. 

     The NFL has the most loyal following of fans in this country, and he wants to take games out of the U.S. and take them to countries where all they know is fútbol? Please.
     As commissioner, I would toss this idea out the window ASAP. 

     I would also move the Super Bowl to a Saturday. It would make for a bigger party. (As if the party in New Orleans wasn't big enough already.)

     If the game were on a Saturday, nobody would have to worry about the Monday-morning hangover. 

     For fun and entertainment purposes, players get 10 seconds of penalty-free celebration time after they score touchdowns. The current rules completely outlaw celebrations.

     If Reggie Bush wants to do the "Stanky Legg" and Chad Ochocinco wants to propose to cheerleaders after a touchdown, go for it. 

     The last thing I would change about the NFL are the overtime rules. 

      Currently, a coin flip determines who gets the ball, and it's sudden death. Each team should have the chance to score, like they do in college.

     I would put them at midfield instead of the 25-yard line, so they at least have to earn the field goal. 

     Second sport: Major League Baseball, whose current commissioner is Bud Selig. I would shorten the season from 162 games to 145 games. It would be an odd number of games so teams couldn't have even records. You're either a winning team or a losing team. 

     Keep the playoffs the style they are, but with fewer days off. 

      I'm tired of watching teams throw out their best two starters every game and winning the World Series. (Cough, Yankees, cough.) Make teams rely more on the rest of their starters so weaknesses get exposed more often. 

     You know what else I would change thanks to the Yankees? Pitcher-catcher meetings. 

     I almost got sick watching Jorge Posada and CC Sabathia talk with their gloves over their mouths five times in one inning during the World Series. 

     It was like watching two 10-year-olds who couldn't see how many fingers the catcher was holding. It drags the game out way too much. And Pete Rose would be in the Hall of Fame. 

     Last sport: the NBA. The current commissioner is David Stern. I would do the same as I did for baseball and shorten the season to an odd number of games so you're either winners or losers. It is currently 82 games in a regular season, so I'd move it to 71. 

     What drives me crazy about the NBA is that 16 of the 32 teams make the playoffs. That's half the league. A team could have a losing season and still make the playoffs. 

     The top six teams in each conference would make the playoffs, with the top two seeds getting first-round byes. 

     That would actually make the regular season, and playing defense, mean something. Now if only Stern could control guns in the locker room.

     You might agree with some of what I said or you might think I'm as dumb as Gilbert Arenas. Either way, change is good. t&c;

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