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Ed Bouchette's Daily Question
Thursday, October 26, 2006

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Question: Sunday's game in Atlanta was another unfortunate example of the advantage given to the team that wins the overtime coin toss. I believe the Steelers organization has supported changing the overtime rules to guarantee that each team has at least one offensive series. What are your thoughts?

Steve Harrod, Pensacola, Fla.

BOUCHETTE: I once believed that it didn't matter because defense is half the game and if a team is to win, stop the other team first. That's so quaint, and I've long changed my opinion on it because NFL rules so favor offenses that it is indeed unfair to have an overtime game decided on a coin flip. Why have the teams take the field at all? Just flip the coin and whoever wins it, gets the victory. A rules change was proposed several years ago and it was shot down. The proposal was to give at least each offense a crack at the ball and if a tie remained, the sudden death rules would apply from there. I liked that idea. What I hate are the high school and college rules; I'd rather have the current NFL sudden-death rules apply than to use the amateur overtime rules.

First published on October 26, 2006 at 12:00 am