The Baltimore Ravens found a loophole and took advantage this past Sunday by holding just about every opponent on the last play of the game.
And while it was a cool and pretty brilliant idea, you knew the know-it-all, power-hungry NFL wouldn’t stand for this kind of tomfoolery.
Just days after the play took place, NFL VP of officiating Dean Blandino went on the NFL Network and was asked about the play. He basically assured folks that this won’t be a loophole for much longer.
“It is kind of a loophole,” Blandino said on NFL Network. “All the Ravens players pick a Bengals player out and just hold him. The idea is, ‘We just want to bleed the clock.’ . . . I think you’ll see the competition committee review this.”
Yep. Just what NFL officials need: more rules to worry about.
Why can’t the NFL just acknowledge that a team found a loophole and let it be? It’s not hurting anyone. Also, there are loopholes in every sport. Basketball players throw the ball up in the air late in the game so their opponent can’t get to the ball in time. Or in hockey, when a team continues to clear the puck while its opponent has an empty net. It’s part of the strategy.
But this is the NFL, after all. If the league isn’t in control of every possible thing, it will make damn sure it will be shortly.
