New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - Something that's always bothered me...

In the event of game-winning or tying field goals in the 4th qtr......why do coaches these days always call timeout with 7 or 8 seconds left instead of 3 or 4? The only logical explanation I can think of is that the coaches think if the snap is bobbled by the holder, then the holder can throw it away or something and stop the clock with 1 or 2 seconds and get another shot, but chances are....the holder's gonna get sacked before he can do that anyway, and thus the point is moot.

The first NFC title game I ever watched was in January of 1991. Giants vs. 49ers in Candlestick. Parcells called timeout with exactly 4 seconds left (this is pretty much the universal time that always gets run off the clock for field goals, it seems), so that exactly :00 would be showing after Matt Bahr's field goal connected.

Back to my original rant....the Saints did the exact same thing I'm complaining about this past week...calling timeout with 8 seconds left.......resulting in there being like 3 seconds left after Carney's FG was good. Not only does this sorta kill the moment SOMEWHAT since the game isn't completely over, but there is always that 1% chance that the Music City Miracle or some bullsh*t like that might happen when you kick it back off.

And before any morons jump in with "well it's Haslett, so what do you expect???".....just about every NFL coach seems to do this. Remember that Bill Bellichick did the exact same thing in the Patriots's first super bowl victory.......calling timeout with 7 or 8 seconds left........but for some reason, the entire time was run off the clock (which I found to be a bit shady, even though I was rooting heavily for the Pats in that game).

So this is my plea to NFL coaches. PLEASE CALL TIMEOUT WITH ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 4 SECONDS REMAINING ON THE CLOCK!

Thank you.