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Morning Commute: Get Rid Of The 'Ice The Kicker' Rule

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Everything you need to know about D.C. sports in one place.

This is going to seem like sour grapes, since it directly impacts the result of yesterday's Redskins-Texans game. Whatever. It still needs to be said.

Expert product placement aside, the Texans' decision to call timeout at the last second to ice Graham Gano on the game-winning field goal was annoying. You can't blame Gary Kubiak, because he was just following the rules, but it was still annoying. I've never understood why the NFL allows coaches to do this, and I still don't get it now. 

This isn't commonplace in other sports either. In baseball, there's a limit until when a batter can call time on a pitcher. He can't wait for the pitcher to begin his motion, then call for time afterwards. In basketball, you can call timeouts between free throws, but it must be before the player sets up to attempt the shot. In hockey, you can't call timeout before a penalty shot or a shootout attempt. Yet, in football, you can let your opponent line up for the field goal and be milliseconds away from snapping the ball ... and still call timeout. It's kind of silly.

There are bigger issues to fix, but I'm hoping there's some change in the timeout rules before field goal attempts. It didn't cost the Redskins the game, and it still could have been overcome, but that doesn't make it less annoying.

Todays' must-reads from around the SB Nation network:

  • In non-Redskins news, Bullets Forever wonders which Gilbert Arenas will show up this season: the happy-go-lucky one or the serious one. 
  • Federal Baseball notes that it looks like Jim Riggleman is coming back next season.
  • Maryland finally lost a game, so it's only natural for Testudo Times to introduce the Ralph Friedgen/James Franklin approval poll.
  • Black and Red United recaps D.C. United's loss to the LA Galaxy.
On tap at SB Nation D.C.: Jack Anderson writes about the Redskins' lack of a run game, and Scott Jackson's "Chain Reactions" column tackles the same issue