Comments on: Foul Ball

By: B. Minich

B. Minich — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 05:07:55 +0000

I do think that this fad will die down once someone in the pros misses the first FG and makes the second after the use of this tactic. It won't eliminate it, but it will give more coaches pause.

By: Dodd

Dodd — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:46:20 +0000

In the interest of adding still more mixed sports metaphors to this discussion, let me just say that Steven just knocked that one out of the park.

By: Steven Taylor

Steven Taylor — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:40:41 +0000

As a golfer, I must confess the last thing I want to do after I hit the ball 200 yards onto the green over water is to have someone run up and tell me: "sorry, that one didn't count, so do it again."

A mulligan, properly defined is getting to hit the ball again because you screwed up the first shot (and is against the rules). Having made a kick and then being told you have to make it again is not, in any way, equivalent to a mulligan.

By: rodney dill

rodney dill — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 01:27:13 +0000

When you do a Mulligan (which is outside the rules of real golf) you don't have a bunch of other golfers trying to run you over again.

By: Dodd

Dodd — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:26:36 +0000

I started a paragraph about the inevitability of a coach losing a game because he tries this gimmick and the kicker makes the rekick after missing on the timeout, but culled it because the post was already too long. So, yes, there's a chance that that makes the problem somewhat self-correcting, but not enough of a chance. I don't think a coach who tries this and loses only because of will get in too much trouble. But I can see this becoming a "required" play and coaches getting ridden hard for not using it if they have the chance. And I don't think that's good for the game, even if some kickers won't mind it.

By: john

john — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:12:52 +0000

James,

Do you play golf? Because if you do, then you've certainly heard of the mulligan. If I were a kicker, I would love the chance the essentially practice the game-winning kick in real game conditions before actually having to make it.

The most famous recent example of the last-second time out was between UF & LSU. The 2nd winning kick was actually more accurate than the first kick! The kicker had a chance the test the wind, footing and distance just before he had to really make it! I bet kickers wouldn't be so upset if the coaches kept it up with the late time outs. The LSU kicker sure didn't seem to mind, as he sarcastically did the gator chomp after UF's coach gave him a practice run at winning the game.