The other night on "Inside the NFL" there was a big "debate" between Jim Nantz and Phil Simms regarding overtime rules in the NFL. (I say "debate" because it was pretty contrived.)

Nantz came armed with statistics claiming in the last five years the team who lost the coin flip prior to overtime lost 61% of the time. Nantz believes that because in the Chargers-Colts game Peyton manning was deprived of touching the ball, that the league will change the rules.  Although Nantz didn't say how, one can infer that the NFL will adopt the college football overtime rule (which I hate, btw.)

Simms made an excellent point of mentioning that had Peyton Manning not given the Chargers back the football during regulation or if the Colts hadn't missed tackles and had three penalties called on them in overtime, Manning may have had an opportunity.

Look, a final score is the sum total of all it's parts.  Maybe your team had it first and goal at the five and fumbled in the first quarter.  Maybe you gave it back late in the game.  The point is that if you go to overtime, it was because you blew opportunities somewhere in the game to take the lead or hold on to the lead.  Overtime doesn't just happen.  You arrive there though sixty minutes of play.  And if you do arrive there, you should get whatever you deserve be it a win or a loss without even touching the ball.

The owners however are more interested in offense and revenue and probably think playing college football rules adds something to a game.  At the pro level, being able to bang it in from the 25 or even the 35 is pretty easy.  Some of these games could go eight, nine "overtimes" and have both grossly inflated scores and stats.  It's not how the big boys do it.

It's sad enough the NHL has sunk to the level of minor league hockey with their shootouts.  Games need to be decided in a manner in which they were played, not changing the rules at the end of the game to determine a winner.  You don't see the NBA having a free throw contest after a regulation tie or MLB having a home run derby after ten innings (yet).  The greatest NFL game ever played went TWO overtimes before a winner was declared.  Changing the rules is silly and an insult to the game.

For once I agree with Phil Simms, although Jim Nantz is probably right.