10-30-2007, 04:47 PM
This isn't helping the "football is full big, dumb oafs" stereotype.
What I see being said is "football is complicated, we wouldn't want to have to compete with education (which is essentially what videotaping is) because we worked so hard to establish the airport plane jockey signaling."
I understand why you guys are so charged up... the Pats obviously broke the rules in place. That's not fair and they should be penalized for it. But why not consider this a chance to revise the rules? If it's illegal to videotape then it's logical to assume that teams will do the next best thing - probably do something like hire a "Hand Signal Identifier" who's job it is to figure out what each team's signals mean without the use of tape. The regulation, it would seem, would then hinder the efficiency of money spent in the sport because teams would be significant sums on Their Man because his effectiveness is directly related to theirs. So why not cut to the chase?
I think, and I'm totally ignorant, that allowing one player on the field from each team at any given time to have a communicator would be a good solution, Hand signals would vanish and an expectation of secrecy would be established... it would be much easier to support an Intellectual Property theft claim (yeah, I know, the current rule is cut and dry, but as a dissenter I see it as kind of silly), essentially what's at stake, if there were some kind of actually barrier to that theft. A lot like leaving your car running while you go into a store - yes, it's still illegal for somebody to take it, but don't expect much sympathy, or help, from the Police when they find out you didn't make any effort to protect your investment. The NFL should take the keys out of the ignition... otherwise I wouldn't be surprised to see this kind of thing again.
*ninja edit* to respond to Steve's statement which seems to tell me that the radio rule is already in effect which I mentioned a few lines up: perhaps the NFL should mandate the type of communicator and assign secure channels at random immediately preceeding kickoff? This would seem to solve the "Bermuda Stadium" problem... if they blocked communications then they would be shooting themselves in the foot.
What I see being said is "football is complicated, we wouldn't want to have to compete with education (which is essentially what videotaping is) because we worked so hard to establish the airport plane jockey signaling."
I understand why you guys are so charged up... the Pats obviously broke the rules in place. That's not fair and they should be penalized for it. But why not consider this a chance to revise the rules? If it's illegal to videotape then it's logical to assume that teams will do the next best thing - probably do something like hire a "Hand Signal Identifier" who's job it is to figure out what each team's signals mean without the use of tape. The regulation, it would seem, would then hinder the efficiency of money spent in the sport because teams would be significant sums on Their Man because his effectiveness is directly related to theirs. So why not cut to the chase?
I think, and I'm totally ignorant, that allowing one player on the field from each team at any given time to have a communicator would be a good solution, Hand signals would vanish and an expectation of secrecy would be established... it would be much easier to support an Intellectual Property theft claim (yeah, I know, the current rule is cut and dry, but as a dissenter I see it as kind of silly), essentially what's at stake, if there were some kind of actually barrier to that theft. A lot like leaving your car running while you go into a store - yes, it's still illegal for somebody to take it, but don't expect much sympathy, or help, from the Police when they find out you didn't make any effort to protect your investment. The NFL should take the keys out of the ignition... otherwise I wouldn't be surprised to see this kind of thing again.
*ninja edit* to respond to Steve's statement which seems to tell me that the radio rule is already in effect which I mentioned a few lines up: perhaps the NFL should mandate the type of communicator and assign secure channels at random immediately preceeding kickoff? This would seem to solve the "Bermuda Stadium" problem... if they blocked communications then they would be shooting themselves in the foot.
When it comes to Ryan Jenkins, the story ends with me putting him in the wall.
2009 Speed Triple | 2006 DR-Z400SM | 1999 CBR600F4 | 1998 Jeep Cherokee
-Ginger
2009 Speed Triple | 2006 DR-Z400SM | 1999 CBR600F4 | 1998 Jeep Cherokee
-Ginger