The Fifth Quarter

The Fifth Quarter

Let me begin by saying that I am in no way an expert on how a game of football should be played. I am female, elderly, live alone and what I have acquired in knowledge concerning the game, has been garnered over quite a number of seasons, by watching closely and listening to the comments of the announcers.

Perhaps for this reason alone, my commentary on overtime in a football game should be given some consideration. If the resolution of a tie situation seems unfair and incomplete to someone so lacking in the basic knowledge as myself; what must the tail-gating, die-hard, couch potato, football fan of America feel concerning the fifth quarter?

I have watched several games go into overtime this season. Most recently the Jets – Patriots game about a week ago. It was a great game between two long time rivals, but it left me feeling like someone forgot to put the period at the end of a sentence.

It always appears to me that if you win the flip of the coin, in all probability you are going to win the game. I mean; how hard is it for the winner of the coin toss to get a field goal, leaving the other team practically no chance to get their ups — so to speak? How can the game end this way — with only one team getting their hands on the ball?

I guess I better just keep watching baseball.

I know that advocates of the overtime rule will say there could be an interception, or someone might just possibly tip the ball when the kicker makes his kick, etc., but these happenings are far more the exception than the rule. Like perhaps — a minor miracle?

Why is the fifth quarter not simply just played out and whoever is ahead at the end of the quarter becomes the definite, no question about it, absolute and forever winner of the game?

Perhaps the overtime rule will never be changed and the only solace I can hope for is that the team I am rooting for wins the toss of the coin.  I must admit, my indignant sputtering becomes very close to inaudible when that happens.