They're only going to be using one end zone at Wrigley Field

[charlie and algernon]

One end zone for offense at Wrigley

Only one end zone will be used for offense Saturday at Wrigley Field for the Illinois-Northwestern game because of safety concerns, the Big Ten announced Friday.

The east end zone is just feet away from the right-field wall, and although there is padding, there still were concerns that players could be injured there.

In a statement issued by the Big Ten, the following changes will be made:

• All offensive plays will head toward the west end zone, including all extra points and all overtime possessions.

• All kickoffs will be kicked toward the east end zone.

• After every change of possession, the ball will be repositioned for the offense to head toward the west end zone.

• As a result of a coin toss held by the conference office Friday morning, Illinois will occupy the west team bench in the first half and Northwestern will occupy the west team bench in the second half and for all overtime periods.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/ncf/news/story?id=5824661

Anyone else getting flashbacks to childhood when the space between the two trees in your backyard was the universal endzone?

[Dr. Strange]

1. I love the Onion.

Wait, ESPN? Are you shitting me?

[madinmaryland]

2. SERIESLY!! WTF??

:wtf:

[charlie and algernon]

3. a co-worker and I were talking about it

all they need are flowerbeds and the side of a shed to determine out of bounds, lol!

Plus an overhanging tree to mess with the passes and kicks.

[madinmaryland]

4. Yeah. You gotta have that tree on the around the left hash on the twenty yard line

to screw everything up.

:rofl:

[kick-ass-bob]

5. LOL "Dude, you know you can't..."

"pass the ball on this side of the 50. The tree ALWAYS hits any thrown ball."

We had a tree at the "50" and used that as a screen :P

[rocktivity]

6. I've head of half-court BASKETBALL. But half-court FOOTBALL?

Can this game even be considered to be legal?

The NCAA needs to shut this down. If the field is not of regulation size, reschedule and find another venue.

:crazy:
rocktivity

[charlie and algernon]

8. the field is of legal size, they've just decided not to use all of it

only way that east endzone gets used is from a pick 6.

[rocktivity]

9. But if all of the field can't be used

but how can it be considered a "regulation" game?

:shrug:
rocktivity

[charlie and algernon]

10. I have no idea

their arguement probably is that since the hazard (the ivy wall) is outside the field, it's still in regulation. The coaches are worried that the wide recievers and safeties are going to go splat against the wall going for the ball.

The Cubs have to be laughing themselves silly at all this. Their outfielders know how to avoid going splat and they have ZERO padding and NO helmets. Yet it's the heavily padded football players that are worried.

[Dr. Strange]

11. They are using all of the field.

It's just that the edge of one end zone is too close to a wall, so they're setting things up so that the offense always moves toward the other end zone. (This allows receivers to run toward the end zone without having to worry about running into a wall.) It's freaky, but technically it's still the full size regulation field.

[Awsi Dooger]

7. Sounds like a Lions game

Okay, to be fair, a Lions road game

[El Supremo]

12. More rules:

Other rules under consideration include the fire hydrant at the corner of Elm & Main is out of bounds; each school will be responsible for bringing extra footballs because if one goes into Old Man Johnson’s garden you cannot go after it because he’ll tell your parents you trampled his tomato plants whether you did or not; all kickoffs will be thrown; five-Mississippi pass rushes on first and second down; if any player’s mom hollers for him during the course of the game, he will be permitted to re-enter the game after he’s finished cleaning his room; and oncoming traffic has the right of way and play will stop, except on fourth down when you’re on your own.
:rofl:

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/11/19/illini-nwestern-wrigley-game-to-feature-one-usable-end-zone/

[charlie and algernon]

19. LOL!! The Big 10 should just call it the Backyard Bowl

Plant a couple trees in the outfield, it would be a ratings bonanza! :rofl:

[Upton]

13. Big Ten football at it's finest..

This is just ridiculous. They are actually changing the rules in order to accommodate their stupid Wrigley Fieldgate, or whatever in the hell it's called. Sad.

[Littlecat]

14. Uh, what happens if there's an interception?

Which way do they run?

[lazarus]

16. everyone turns around at the 50

:evilgrin:

[madinmaryland]

18. Everyone has to touch the tree at the 50 yardline before turning around!

:rofl:

[Upton]

17. I read..that if a pass is intercepted or a fumble recovered

the east end zone can be scored in by the defense, but the try for extra point will then be moved to the west end zone.

They are making a mockery of the game..

[Condem]

20. No worries, Upton.

They play a lot of D in the Big Ten. The 'D' stands for Defense. See, in football you have the offense and the defense. The trick is to play both. Very good teams do that. A sub-standard conference tries to get by with just the offense. It produces high scoring games. But really a stinking bore. Sound familiar?

[madinmaryland]

21. I was wondering when you would comment about this to upton!

:thumbsup:

[JVS]

24. Anyone familiar with these team's defenses knows that won't happen.

[JonLP24]

15. Not exactly to your question

I am having flashbacks to "losers walk" or something like that meaning the team that scored got to kick off shortly ahead of the end zone they just scored from.

[charlie and algernon]

22. luckily unlike us, they're able to have different sets of players

if a defense is getting obliterated, the special teams players can start to get set at the other end, lol. No 100 yard walk of shame for the defense. :rofl:

[KamaAina]

23. And how exactly does this affect the coin toss loser's choice of which goal to defend?

:eyes: