I recognize your partial tongue in cheek, but grrrr still ;-)

How is that 14 minutes of action in an average baseball game measured? Pitches in flight or ball in play? It doesn't seem like much boiled down to that. Then again, the stopwatch accounting of NFL games is very similar IIRC. If it's nonstop action and improvisation you want, there is a world favorite I could mention....

I watched the Bears-Panthers game, slightly delayed, this afternoon, so here are my ad hoc Swami III observations. A partial class, as it were, since games are still going on or yet to start.

Bears 23, Panthers 6
The Bears came out like a house afire, running with abandon and apparently taking a 24-3 lead before the end of the first quarter. That third touchdown was overturned on appeal and Todd Collins promptly threw an interception. It seemed to confirm what some analysts around have been saying, that the Bears have not so much failed at running the ball as not tried it enough. The admittedly poor offensive line seems to be better at run blocking than pass blocking. The new offensive coordinator Mike Martz, the NFL's answer to Bombs Away Curtis LeMay, may be unsuited to the Bears arsenal, especially with Jay Cutler out. Even for a guy who is 39 years old and hasn't started an NFL game since 2007 (and very few ever), Collins was awful. He was intercepted four times and missed receivers by 5 or 10 yards on many occasions. You don't see that imprecision very often in the NFL.

It was like a clinic of bad quarterbacking. Jimmy Clausen of the Panthers, a rookie by way of Notre Dame and a storied high school career in Ego, California, was equally bad. One was too young, one was too old, and they both stunk up a perfect fall day in North Carolina.

Play of the game: Devin Hester's first punt return of about 60 yards down the left sideline, missing a record tying career return TD -- he's what, about 26? -- only when the punter knocked him out of bounds. What was exhilarating was he fielded the ball just in bounds and apparently had no room to maneuver. He bolted down the sideline like, well, a panther. No matter how good or bad the Bears are, Devin Hester returning a kick is a moment of high adventure. The Panthers wised up and punted it out of bounds after that.

The latest punt return is not up online yet. Here is the previous one. I love his Lambeau Leap at the end, a joyous up-yours to the Packers. Personally I like the Packers, second only to the Bears, but for most fans in these parts it's like the Hatfields and McCoys.

http://www.chicitysports.com/2010/09/28/devin-hester-62-yard-punt-return-for-touchdown-vs-packers-week-3/

Colts 19, Chiefs 9
I come to praise you, KG, not to bury you. The Chiefs played the Colts very tight in Indy, a tie game into the fourth quarter. Clearly they are a much improved team. You were way ahead of me on this one.

Lions 44, Rams 6
Told you so. They are another improved team. No, they're not there yet even for playoff contention, but this group is not going to go 2-14 or 0-16 again soon.

Arizona 23, New Orleans 13 at the 2 minute warning
The Saints are officially not the team they were a year ago. With salary caps it's hard to sustain a franchise but this is still surprising, at least to me. Or maybe you just get less hungry once you drink from the cup. (Sorry, bollixed metaphor). I was really happy for them last year and am wondering what has happened.

Redskins 16, Packers 13
Introducing the Green Bay Packers, the 2010 NFL Rorscharch test. Just when they seem poised to join the league elite they lose to the Bears or to bottom feeders like the Redskins.





>Joe Girardi says he's in favor of instant replay in baseball “As long as it doesn’t slow the games down,”
>
>Yeah, it would be a shame to derail the crazy paced action fest that is professional baseball ( 14 minutes of action per 3.5 hours game time).
>
>Personally, I think showing instant replay of each pitch ( especially in no-hitters ) would actually appeal to hardcore fans ( no worries about driving off casual TV fans - they left in the 1950's and I'm pretty sure new fans too young to drink are being forced to attend and bring hand-held Madden NFL with them to the games )
>
>Oh my god - is professional fly fishing next to have all the adrenaline sucked out of it ?