Icing the kicker

[snp]

This new technique of coaches waiting until the last possible second to call a timeout was seen again in the Dallas vs Buffalo game. Thankfully for Cowboy fans, it didn't work. Unfortunate for Bills fans, because the rest of their fanbase that hadn't committed suicide after that first FG went in, the rest of their fans offed themselves.

Is this something that should be allowed? I feel that it's unsportsmanlike and detracting from the game. Then again, if the outcome of the Colorado game turned out differently, I might have a different mind set.

[Crucifax Autumn]

I think it's stupid...hardly ever works and just annoys me.

[jwlynn64]

Gives them more time to show another commercial if the game is running short! ;)

[goingoneight]

Annoys the hell out of me. Give him a time out... go ahead... give him time to compose himself and think about his shot more... BRILLIANT!

[Crucifax Autumn]

yeah, and sometimes they just give him a chance to test the wind when he actually gets the kick off.

[yermom]

no, this is different. they basically force the kicker to kick multiple times

the crazy thing is that now they are going to be waiting for it, whether they call it like that or not

[Crucifax Autumn]

Well, I say we avoid this tactic by kicking the crap outta everyone.

[goingoneight]

I remember when timeouts were used for figuring out formations, miscommunications and injuries. Seems it is more like basketball these days, hold onto your timeouts so you can get a technicality victory. Two seconds = fifteen minutes.

[goingoneight]

Well, I say we avoid this tactic by kicking the crap outta everyone.

Here, here!!!

[batonrougesooner]

It should be against the rules. Once the center has the ball in his hand or the line is set, no time outs should be allowed on field goals or extra points.

[101sooner]

It's like yelling "NOONAN" during someones back swing on the tee box. I do it all the time, so it shouldn't be allowed by professionals.

[boomersooner28]

How many times can the hearts of Buffalo Bills' fans be ripped right outta there chest? I think if I was one 'em, I'd prolly kill myself! :D

[ruf/nekdad]

It's like yelling "NOONAN" during someones back swing on the tee box. I do it all the time, so it shouldn't be allowed by professionals.

I have found farting during a back swing to be effective.

[sooner_born_1960]

It should be against the rules. Once the center has the ball in his hand or the line is set, no time outs should be allowed on field goals or extra points.
Does that go for the offense too?

[StoopTroup]

It will fix itself IMO.

Once a few of these FGs miss on the 1st try and hit on the 2nd...they'll quit it.

[SoonerJack]

ding ding ding, we have a winner, StoopTroup!

[Landthief 1972]

I think it's a chicken**** thing to do, myself. Expect the NFL to hose that in the rulebook next year.

[TopDawg]

It's not a big deal to me. I don't think it really hurts or helps the kicker and I bet it doesn't work more often than it works. But on those times that it does work...well hooray for timeouts.

[starrca23]

Stoop troup is right. Just trying to put myself in the kickers position, I would be wondering about the timeout coming on the first attempt. I think a kicker would be less ready the first time than the second.

[colleyvillesooner]

I'd bet money they change the rule next year. Something like, under 1 min, only a player on the field can call a timeout, or on Field goals, only a player can call the timeout.

[OUmillenium]

How many times can the hearts of Buffalo Bills' fans be ripped right outta there chest by the Dallas Cowboys? I think if I was one 'em, I'd prolly kill myself! :D

Fixed

[cjames317]

How many times can the hearts of Buffalo Bills' fans be ripped right outta there chest? :D

For as long as they revel in the memory of Frank Reich's second-half comeback against the Oilers.

[MiccoMacey]

1) There are good times to cal a timeout, and not good times.

If the kicker is trying a record-setting personal best of 53 yards, it's probably not the best time to call a time out because odds are that he will miss it anyway on the first shot. If you call a timeout and he misses it, all you've done is give him a warm up kick. Stick with the odds.

If the kicker is trying a 45 yarder, call it. Maybe it'll mess with his head. 45 yarders are pretty prevelant today. Odds are he's going to make it anyway. Get in his head.

2) Once a few coaches call it incorrectly, it'll phase out. Like the quick-kick.

[mfosterftw]

I'd bet money they change the rule next year. Something like, under 1 min, only a player on the field can call a timeout, or on Field goals, only a player can call the timeout.

How about - Defense can't call a time out once the center is over the ball, regardless of the situation.

[Texas Golfer]

What bothers me is that once the play has begun, you can't stop it because of a timeout. The coaches are standing right next to the ref waiting for the right time to call it. But the ref has to have time to react to their request and whistle for play not to begin.

Just because the coach asks for the timeout before the snap doesn't mean he gets it.

[Stoop Dawg]

If I were a kicker, I'd ask my own coach to call a TO right before the kick. Especially on a windy day. It'd be nice to get a feel for how the kick is going to go.

You could also see what kind of D they are in. Maybe I'd find a weakness then run a fake on the "real" play and score a TD instead.

[tnraider1]

I think it is stupid and should be banned by the NFL next year. This coming from a Raiders fan and we won and lost a game that way. And to those saying that it doesn't work most of the time, it's worked 2 out of 3 times this year on the last play of the game, last night being the first time the kicker has hit both kicks. Could it back fire, of course, but what are the odds of that when NFL kickers hit an average of 80% of thier kicks or better. I've seen it from both sides and it rips the heart out of a team to think they have won, then have to come out and do it again. Bane it!!!!!!

[TexasLidig8r]

Imagine Tiger Woods on a tee box getting two swings with his driver.

These guys are professionals.. not high school kids, not college kids.

Even kickers are paid well to do their job. And, the difference between kickers, like in golf, is often times more mental than physical.

The kicker is focused on the placement and his technique. Even if whistles start to blow because a time out has been called, he is going to go through his mental checklist and execute.

He can then adjust if need be because of the first kick. In essence, if the time out is called, it is comparable to a practice kick.

[colleyvillesooner]

Still chicken ****...

[snp]

You don't use a timeout as a last ditch effort to win the game. Timeouts are used to fix mistakes or for other strategy purposes. Using it as a tool because you are about to lose and the players themselves can't effect the outcome is poor sportsmanship in my mind.

It's also heartbreaking for fans :(

[tnraider1]

Imagine Tiger Woods on a tee box getting two swings with his driver.

These guys are professionals.. not high school kids, not college kids.


Let's see Tiger trying that with 80,000 people yelling at him. Different game, and not a sport in my opinion.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

What's new about it? tOSU tried to ice Uwa back in the 70's. Who cares? It's sucks, but an entire game of baseball employs crap like that.

[snp]

What's new about it? tOSU tried to ice Uwa back in the 70's. Who cares? It's sucks, but an entire game of baseball employs crap like that.

We're not talking about the traditional way to ice the kicker. This new technique coaches sit next to a side judge and wait until the last possible second and whisper timeout and the play continues because the referee can't whistle it dead in time.

[RUSH LIMBAUGH is my clone!]

Good thread, and interesting comments. Needs some yellow stars. I think post #17 best expresses my feelings on this.

[TopDawg]

And to those saying that it doesn't work most of the time, it's worked 2 out of 3 times this year on the last play of the game, last night being the first time the kicker has hit both kicks.

That's in the NFL and it's just this season. Hasn't this happened before in college games too? It's just that lately it's gotten more pub because on two consecutive weeks it worked...and the team that benefited one week was the one who missed it the second week. This isn't really just the 3rd time it's been tried, is it?

[jwlynn64]

Annoys the hell out of me. Give him a time out... go ahead... give him time to compose himself and think about his shot more... BRILLIANT!

http://www.thelynnfamily.net/heineken.jpg

[tnraider1]

That's in the NFL and it's just this season. Hasn't this happened before in college games too? It's just that lately it's gotten more pub because on two consecutive weeks it worked...and the team that benefited one week was the one who missed it the second week. This isn't really just the 3rd time it's been tried, is it?

3rd time this year as the last play of the game. If others have done it mid-game, I am not aware of it. No one really cares until it changes the outcome I guess.

[Phil]

For as long as they revel in the memory of Frank Reich's second-half comeback against the Oilers.


[Mr. Garrison]You go to hell! You go to hell and you die![/Mr. Garrison]

[soonersweetie]

I don't like it. Cause to me it just seems unfair and unsportsmanlike. It's one thing to yell time out and get the ref's attn, as when they are asked to do when they throw the red flag for a challenge. But to make sure the ref stands next to you so you can whisper in his ear that you want the TO at this particular moment seems very unfair and very much like the ref has sided with a particular team.

I just don't like it.

[TopDawg]

3rd time this year as the last play of the game. If others have done it mid-game, I am not aware of it. No one really cares until it changes the outcome I guess.

Yeah, but that's just this year in the NFL. I thought I'd seen it before in other games. Even before they could call timeouts on the sideline, players used to try to call them right before the snap from the field.

[snp]

It also happened in the Auburn/Florida game this year. I imagine it's happened before but not since before 2004 in the NFL - that's when coaches were allowed to call timeouts from the sidelines.

[KC//CRIMSON]

I kicked in High School and College, it doesn't work. You're either going to make it or not.