The extra point

It won’t happen until 2015, but NFL insiders are saying that the extra point as we know it, is going to change.

It’s become automatic – except when it’s not …

During the first two preseason games the NFL moved the ball out to the 15 yard line for the kick, but it made almost no difference. Which would leave us with Commissioner Roger Goodell’s scheme where a touchdown would start out as seven points.

“Seven, for scoring the automatic extra point, but if you want to run a pass you can get the potential for an extra point, an eighth point. But then if you fail, you actually end up with six. You lose a point,” explains Goodell.

Yes, you could actually lose points. Like Jeopardy!

But let’s examine the problem here: Why has the extra point become automatic? Because kickers are too good.
And the reason is, kicking is all they do, so of course they nail it.

I hear kickers are typically the smartest member of the team, because they actually had time to do homework in college.

So let’s take a page from basketball. In basketball, it’s the player who draws that foul who gets to take the one-point shot. Well then, in football, whichever player scores the touchdown has to kick the extra point. I bet it won’t be automatic then.

If they insist on keeping the same kicker and adopting Mr. Goodell’s Jeopardy rule, then at least go all in – to keep the extra point, the kicker has to solve a Jeopardy clue on the field.

That’s excitement!