DETROIT -- The NFL isn't without its blemishes, to be kind, but it's got just about everything on the NHL.
From the moment Jesse James' catch at Heinz Field became a non-catch, Roger Goodell -- I know, I know, just hold your nose and we'll get through this sentence together -- had his people perfectly aligned with a plan: Call pretty much everything a catch the rest of the season and into the Super Bowl, and we'll work together toward a smart long-term solution.
Al Riveron, the NFL's Senior Vice President of Officiating and the target of continent-wide ire for a slew of these catch overturns, didn't run or hide. He answered all questions coolly and calmly at the time and beyond. And all through this offseason, he's communicated through his own Twitter account and that of NFL Football Operations every step of the way. The league engaged a group of 'NFL legends,' as well as all levels of owners, GMs, players and the union itself.
This was from Riveron before the NFL meetings began this past week in Orlando, Fla.
.@NFL Competition Committee proposal noted in the previous tweet simplifies the catch process & allows for plays such as the @DezBryant (2014 post-season) and @JJames18_ (2017 season) to become catches. pic.twitter.com/K2caIndpGZ
— Al Riveron (@alriveron) March 21, 2018
They even published ideas from individual teams, most of which could never reach fruition, just to enhance the discussion.
And finally, yesterday in Orlando, Mike Tomlin and the NFL's Competition Committee ratified the following:
The playing rules & bylaws approved by @NFL clubs this morning pic.twitter.com/vyfeqLybLl
— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) March 27, 2018
The ruling could be condensed to this: A catch is a catch, regardless of what happens after the catch.
Simple stuff, right?
Of course, but football fans are far better informed, as are the participants themselves. Everyone, even the public, had a chance to get involved. Better yet, everyone knows what constitutes a catch once again.
Now, contrast that with the easily-contrasted NHL and the way the recent -- and wholly legit -- goaltender interference flap was handled.
Gary Bettman, who sets the tone, emerged from the league's GMs meetings last week after three hours of deliberation had produced next to nothing, and basically wagged his finger at everyone:
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on goalie interference:
"Only a handful of calls have been a problem and coach's who make the challenges are mad when they don't go their way, but overall it's been blown out of proportion"
um?
— Faizal Khamisa (@SNFaizalKhamisa) March 21, 2018
Right. We're all stupid. And Mike Sullivan and Mike Babcock are stupid.
I can't speak for the Toronto scene, but Sullivan had been complaining all winter long that he had no idea what constituted goaltender interference any more and openly admitted that he and other coaches were just flinging challenges against the wall with the assumption that the referees didn't know either.
The NHL’s Board of Governors has approved changes to Rule 78.7 (ii) Coach’s Challenge – Goaltender Interference.
The updated rule will be implemented for games as of Wednesday, March 28. https://t.co/5Crksan7xJ
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 27, 2018
Don't waste your time opening that. Nothing there. It basically boils down to Bettman turning to one of his most trusted among the mesozoic hierarchy, Colin Campbell, to shift all burden for such calls to Campbell, one former referee and three other replay officials in Toronto.
That's it. Not a syllable of the rule was changed other than that.
And they wasted a vote of all 31 Board of Governors and the Players Association to make this look like a real action, even though not one step was taken toward clarifying the rule's spirit or application to anyone anywhere. So when playoffs open, the only explanation given when goaltender interference is or isn't called will be ... uh, hang on, Colie and his boys are trying to figure that out.
With gusto: Best sport, worst league.
• That said, it sure is nice to have a catch be a catch again. If only because we can all hereby declare that the Patriots' hex over the Steelers has ended since, you know, the Steelers would have won that game.
No?
OK, I didn't think so. Back under the desk.
• Really now, this Detroit goal last night, a backdoor beauty by Frans Nielsen ...
... was the subject of a long conversation on the Penguins' bench, primarily between Sullivan and Mark Recchi, as to whether or not it should be challenged for goaltender interference.
Sullivan and Recchi are doing what's right by their team, but what's right by the game is to appreciate creativity like that and, thus, to leave it alone. This league loves nothing more than to concoct reasons to take goals away. And never mind that there wasn't a red sweater anywhere near Matt Murray.
• This performance was so miserable that I wrote one full column about it and won't let it spill into this second one.
But there were a couple facets worth applauding, if only in complete isolation, beginning with Sidney Crosby burying this one-timer 39 seconds after the opening faceoff ...
... as well as having had a likely legit goal waved off later because Toronto couldn't come up with a convincing enough shot of the puck.
"I thought it was in," the captain would tell us, "but I can see where they wouldn't have had a good angle on it."
I share this partly to note that the captain's back in goal-scoring mode, which is always encouraging, but also to call attention to this Matt Sunday photo just below of Sullivan, Recchi and, naturally, Tom Kuhnhackl doing some big-time video study right there on the bench as the review was happening.
It's becoming a huge part of sports.
• Another positive without forcing it: Zach Aston-Reese didn't excel in his return from a month-long injury, but he had his moments, including on the penalty-kill, an area where Sullivan and Jacques Martin would welcome seeing him grow sooner rather than later.
This was a rather bold block of a Joe Hicketts slap shot -- and the kid really teed it up -- with a thud off Aston-Reese's leg that could be heard over at Comerica Park:
Players tend to take the safe route after a long-term injury. This was halfway through the first period. Small wonder Recchi was the first to greet him at the bench on the ensuing change and offer a pat on the shoulder.
• Clint Hurdle's lineup for when the Pirates open up here Thursday doesn't look like it'll be bad, something I maintained even after the embarrassing salary dump of Andrew McCutchen:
1. Adam Frazier, DH
2. Josh Harrison, 2B
3. Gregory Polanco, RF
4. Josh Bell, 1B
5. Corey Dickerson, LF
6. Starling Marte, CF
7. Francisco Cervelli, C
8. Colin Moran, 3B
9. Jordy Mercer, SS
Really, what's the problem other than Moran being almost entirely an unknown commodity?
The catch is this: Frazier belongs in that lineup. Not because it's an American League ballpark -- which is the only reason he's playing Thursday -- but because he's a better overall hitter than an uncomfortably high number of the above. Hurdle and the brass are going to have to deal with that sooner rather than later.
• The Pirates' 47 home runs led the Grapefruit League. So please, once and for all, never, ever, ever cite spring statistics for any purpose beyond amusement.
• Speaking of home runs, there was absolute baseball magic last night in Montreal with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. batting in the Blue Jays' exhibition there -- in front of 25,816 fans, mostly wearing Expos gear -- and blasting a walkoff home run:
You couldn't script it any better. People wouldn't believe you. #LikeFatherLikeSon pic.twitter.com/yURPB0UqsY
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) March 28, 2018
A scene like that will happen in St. Petersburg in two-thousand-and-never. Move the Rays to Montreal. Right a terrible wrong.
• It's looking increasingly like rain here Thursday, so this is the annual reminder that Major League Baseball always does well to schedule those blank days following an opener. If this one gets bagged, the first pitch will be Friday. No big deal.
• I'm staying in Motown, obviously, so I won't be back home for Pitt's press conference to introduce Jeff Capel., who looks to be a solid hire. Maybe someone will act on my behalf and ask Heather Lyke to come clean on how she pulled it off.