The Replay Rules in the NFL? Pump it or dump it.

The Scene: Lucas Oil Field, 2:08 left in the game

The Game: New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts

The Situation: Fourth and two, Patriots ball, first down ends the game.

This game has been beaten to the ground with the controversy of Bill Belichick going for it on 4th down, I get it, it wasn't a smart move unless you listen to guys who launch rockets or whatever. Thrashing the Patriots coach was an easy copout for the media and the NFL to pick on. One thing overshadowed here is the ridiculous Challenge Rule the NFL has in place. You heard that correctly, the unbelievably ignorant challenge rules. Lets review this particular play, Tom Brady throws a quick out to Kevin Faulk in what seems to be an easy first down, a yard over the marker, but he bobbles it and it may be a yard short. This is an easy challenge situation right? Well unfortunately, you only get two challenges a game, because apparently you're supposed to plan ahead for incompetence. If this play happens ten seconds later in the game, its

I wonder if Jim Caldwell will let me borrow his challenge flag?

auto-reviewed by the booth by league rules. Was there a bigger play in the game? Answer: No. I remember watching this game live and hearing Al Michaels say "And they can't challenge since they already used their two for the game!!" I'm sorry, what? No challenges left because they were previously used?? This can't be how this game is judged? By all definitions, this is a play that can never be properly judged at first glance, which is all that was given for the biggest play of the biggest regular season game to this point. I'll let you watch the replay for yourself. Go ahead, click on it, I can wait. Okay, great, now we've all seen it 30 times. Any idea of where the ball should be spotted there? Yeah, me neither. So that's it, the Colts get the ball and ride the crowd into the end zone and win the game by one. Pandemonium. The coach gets grilled, he does his "it was the best decision at the time" thing, with no pulse or thought.

I'm aware that I just did a lot of rambling to get a simple point across, but this has gone on for about a decade now. Marvin Lewis even ran out of challenges vs the Jets in a playoff game, in

Are we sure I can't challenge a coin toss?

what seemed to be the Coin Toss. Let me rephrase that, the most important game of the year for him, two borderline plays, and now's he's boned for the rest of the game if a bad call is made. IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME OF THEIR SEASON, OF COURSE HE'S GONNA MAKE SURE THE CALL IS RIGHT!!!!(sorry, this rule angers me) I have one rule for fixing this: Dump the rule or enhance the rule. Assuming we can't dump the rule, since all hell would break loose, lets tweak it. Lucky for you(humor me?), I have a few ideas:

• Adopt the college rules, refs challenge anything that looks remotely close(this rule is great, you know a play is about to be reviewed because the refs turn into the Three Stooges in a huddle and point at every landmark on the field, then collectively decide "Since we have no idea what just happened, we will now review the previous play. Nothing amuses me more during a college game. If you need evidence of this fantastic officiating, See Texas vs Nebraska, Big 12 Championship game when Colt McCoy goes into "jackass" mode scrambling for 9 seconds too many for no reason and one second is placed back on the clock so Texas can win in conspiracally(new word?) fashion.)
• If you get a challenge right, why lose it? Obviously you've spotted that the zebras have
  
  
  

  Can I interest anyone in an adrenaline shot?
  
  no idea what's going on, so why lose the challenge. I'm thinking, unlimited challenges as long as you're right.(I'd like to compare this to a movie scene that after 2 failed takes, the director taking the third one no matter what happens. Imagine the Pulp Fiction scene where Mia Wallace gets injected with adrenaline, and Vincent misses the spot twice. Uffff.)
  
• Are we aware that you can't challenge Roughing the Passer and Pass Interference? On top of that, are we aware that a Pass Interference call can be a 50 yard penalty? "Sure it was questionable, but you can't challenge that call, you will be deducted 50 yards for that possible bump!" On paper, this just looks ridiculous. Let's just stop this now, and call it the Devin Hester Rule. Everything can be challenged somehow or another. Done... and done.

This can't be rocket science, could it? Maybe it is and I'm not qualified to discuss the Challenge Rule, but I know it's not Fight Club and someone important in the NFL should at least be talking about entertaining some changes. Only if someone in the NFLPA were awake right now.