Throughout the years, sports rules have changed in order to make the games better for the athletes and for the fans. Some changes work out well and are in place for the long haul, while others are not quite so long lived.
Major League Baseball announced yesterday they will no longer use the All Star Game to determine which team will have home field advantage in the World Series. This has long been a complaint amongst the fans and players since this method removes any reward for having a better record. Using the All Star Game to decide home field advantage was an evolution in baseball back in 2003 to make that game mean more to fans, therefore boosting the ratings. Baseball has the longest season with 162 games, so the team with the best record, after that many games, deserves to have the home field advantage.
College and professional football are due to evolve in order to protect players and make the sport more enjoyable for the fans. Thursday night football is not gone yet, but removing Thursdays from the NFL schedule is up for discussion. There are many good reasons to only have Sunday/Monday games with the most important being player safety.
Some improvements can easily be made with the use of technology. Michigan fans are still convinced that Ohio State did not get the first down in last Saturday’s game. It is almost impossible for the ref to spot the ball on the bottom of a pile of guys. However, if the ball had a GPS chip in it, situations like what we saw in the OSU/Michigan game would be nonexistent.
We are all for using technology and sports medicine to make all the sports safer and more fun to watch. That kind of evolution would be a win-win situation for all involved.