Benchwarmers in the NFL...

I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Holiday season but now it is time to get back to business and do some writing...

Today I am going to bring to your attention something that has been going on in the NFL for quite some time now. Teams who have clinched playoff berths benching starting players, regardless of injury, just too basically "rest" them for their upcoming run in the playoffs. I want to voice an opinion and I know not everyone will agree with me but here it goes anyway...

What these teams and coaches are doing by sitting their starters is essentially compromising the integrity of the game. It basically boils down to throwing games which is strictly prohibited in the NFL bylaws and rules.

Roger Goodell was seen on CBS today during the broadcast of the Steelers/Dolphins matchup and talked to Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf about some options the league is looking into that would provide "incentives" to teams that choose to play their starters for the duration of the 16 game season.

That, in and of itself, shows me that the NFL considers this action of benching starters to be wrong. I go a step further and say that it should be put into the rule book that if a starting player who is not listed on the injury report is purposely benched for no good reason, then the team should be fined and the player and coach suspended for the first game of the playoffs.

There are some things where integrity and honor still need to be held in the highest regard and the NFL is one of those places. Imagine the disappointment of a fan that may have saved an entire year to see his home team play only to have the stars benched to "rest" them for the upcoming playoff run. The NFL is made successful by fans and I know if I were to save (which I would have to do) to see my team play, and finally go only to watch backups and third stringers play, I would be quite peeved.

Just my two cents worth...

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