mulligan

in NFL footbal, each coach has a red flag. football fans, you know, this is the 'challenge' flag, that can be pulled out to force the officials to review a play a team feels was incorrect. In this same spirit, i've often wondered how the game would change if each team got a "mulligan" flag.

Maybe it would be black and white checkered, really that doesn't matter. The point is, each team would get one "do-over" play in the game. Think of how this could change the game of football! Oh the strategy! do you save it for later? or use it for that 80 yard kickoff return the other team just got? Oh the drama! did the kicker just make that 3-seconds-left-in-the-game-winning-kick? He missed it? don't worry? you've saved your checkered flag! Oh the heartache! That poor player who caught the amazing touchdown pass will now have it reversed!

Plays get overturned all the time! Not just "we thought he caught the ball but his second foot was actually out of bounds" stuff, but also on penalty stuff - illegal blocks on kickoff returns, the dreaded holding call, or the fun free plays an offense gets to run when the defense jumps offides. Why not throw one more do-over into the mix?

On a related note, some election signs here in town reads "Mulligan for congress".










Really?
I"m all for do-overs in football, as impossible as it might be, but come on, congress is complicated enough.