You Can't Fix Stupid

College football is wacky, wild, and unpredictable. Unfortunately, so is the NCAA. In fact, the NCAA might be among the dumbest organizations in sports. Remember, this is the same group that brought you the BCS a dozen years ago, and look at how well that's worked out! But because there isn't enough stupidity already, they had to go and add to it by making rule changes that included taking back touchdowns for taunting. So for all those who love to high-step into the endzone in the Madden or NCAA Football video game series, you probably won't like this. This is not referring to endzone celebrations. That will remain a dead-ball foul, a penalty assessed on the following kick-off. No, this is a spot foul. Starting in 2011, if a player taunts his opponent before the goal line, a flag will be thrown, the TD is taken away, and it is 15-yards from the spot of the foul. Are you kidding me? These players make the NCAA and the schools millions upon millions of dollars each year, and never see a penny of it. They are 18 to 22 year old kids. Let them have some fun! What's the harm in it? Are they making the game look bad? It's not like it happens every game to the point where it is out of control.

This got me thinking. Where else in sports are there rules and regulations that drive me crazy? I found 8:

The NBA timeout rule: In the last 2 minutes of the 4th quarter and overtime, when a team calls a timeout they can either 1) inbound the ball from the dead-ball spot or 2) inbound the ball from the 28' mark in the frontcourt. So basically if a team gives up a basket with a second to go, no magical Grant Hill to Christian Laettner prayers will be needed. Simply call a timeout, get the ball outside the 3-point arc, and get a good look. The fact that it takes 25 minutes to play out the last 70 seconds aside, I hate that there is seemingly no punishment for playing crappy defense. If a defensive stand goes for naught, the Kobes, LeBrons, or D-Wades of the league still have a legitimate shot to win. If a team can muster a basket in a key situation, make their opponent go all 94-feet please.

Shootouts: They say a tie is like kissing your sister. Not having a sister myself, I have never experienced such a thing (and for those of you who do, I hope you haven't either... that would be quite creepy). However, in a case of the NHL's shootouts, I would take a tie over the current format. With ties, both teams would receive 1 point. With shootouts, the winners get 2 points and the losers 1. I would like it better if the losers received no points. Maybe that would change my mind a little. But probably not. All I can say is thank goodness they don't do it in the playoffs. Ruining the best postseason in sports would be more than I could take.

Women's Hockey: That's right, an entire sport is one big, idiotic rule. No hitting is allowed. No hitting in hockey? I texted my buddy Zack, who hates hockey with pretty much all his heart, and when I asked him why he would watch, he merely said, "Fights". The physicality is why most people watch hockey. While I am a fan for other reasons, like how awesome it is, the vast majority in America want violence. Taking away hitting would be like taking away bumping in NASCAR or collisions at the plate in baseball -- they happen.

NFL Pre-Season Games: The stars won't play more than a series or two, yet season-ticket holders are forced to go. Basically people are paying half of their salary to watch perennial backups like Kevin O'Connell, Dan Orlovsky, and, in 4 years, Tim Tebow. Call me crazy, but people don't care about them. (What's that? I actually love Dan Orlovsky and would pay good money to see him play? Whoops.) The only reason there are 4 games is because of the revenue that comes in from them. Because the billions they get already isn't enough. Change it to 2 games and get over it.

All-Star Games: I love the idea of having the best players from each sport play in the same game, but the execution in every league is pathetic. In the MLB it decides who gets home-field advantage in the World Series. How about you alternate it each year? Or have the team with the better record have it? The NFL is doubly bad. If it is the week after the Super Bowl, no one cares. If it is the week before the Super Bowl, players from the participating teams won't play, and, still, no one cares. That includes players. This past Pro Bowl Vince Young was the AFC quarterback because Phillip Rivers, Tom Brady, Matt Schaub, and Ben Roethlisberger didn't want to play and Peyton Manning was in the Super Bowl. At this rate JaMarcus Russell will become a perennial Pro Bowler. In the NBA no one tries, but at least there all of the stars play. The NHL doesn't even have an All-Star Game in Olympic years, but when it is played, it gets worse ratings than reruns of According to Jim and, so help me God, Everybody Loves Raymond. WOO!

BCS: No explanation necessary.

The Brady Rule: There is hitting in football. As a result, injuries occur. But because Bernard Pollard hit the golden boy Tom Brady and tore his ACL to open the 2008-09 season, the NFL instituted a rule where quarterbacks cannot be hit below the knee. As sad as it is that stars have this kind of power in the NFL, it's more upsetting that it has essentially become two-hand touch when it comes to QBs. You are asking defensive lineman to find ways to get around 350-lb monsters, locate the quarterback, read his eyes, but slow down to make sure he isn't hit below the knee. All lineman have to do is get their defenders to the ground. Reggie White probably vomited in his grave. Steelers' safety Troy Polamalu was right, the NFL is becoming soft.

The NBA age limit: There is no point in making an 18-year-old go to college for a year before he enters the NBA Draft. None. Be serious here. The kid doesn't care about classes. He misses class during the season, and once the season ends, there is no point in him showing up. The school isn't going to make him do the work during the season because that's the world of college basketball today. He isn't there for the education, and everyone knows it. The schools get horrid graduation rates and are wasting money. The NBA loses potential superstars for a year, and we all know money is the only thing that matters to the league. Either let the kids enter the Association right out of high school or make them attend college for at least 3 years. Don't be in-between, because no one benefits from it. It isn't helping the kid, it isn't helping the schools, it isn't helping the NBA.

None of these are the athletes faults. There is really not much they can do about it. People are stubborn. Stupid people are even more stubborn. It's why you simply can't fix stupid. But I can complain about it, that's for sure.