Flag football is coming to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles – and NFL players can participate.

“It’s an incredible honor for any athlete to represent their country in the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of global sport,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “I know first-hand that the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics has sparked a tremendous amount of excitement among NFL players interested in the chance to compete for their country on the world stage. We are thrilled that they will now have that chance.”  

The ratification required at least 24 out of 32 NFL owners to vote in favor of allowing players to participate in flag football.

Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee announced in October 2023 that flag football would be included on the 2028 Olympics sports program.

The Olympic flag football competition will consist of six men’s teams and six women’s teams composed of 10 players per team, with the game itself a five-on-five format. According to the NFL, NFL player participation with their countries’ national flag football teams will begin with a tryout or qualification process in advance of the Olympic competition.

Olympic flag football will be held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The 22,000-seat soccer stadium is adjacent to the LA Memorial Coliseum.

“There is no question that the 2028 Flag Football tournament at the LA28 Games will be one of the most exciting competitions in Olympic history, and the inclusion of NFL players will bring it to new heights,’ Los Angeles Olympics chairperson and president Casey Wasserman said in a statement. ‘This milestone would not have been possible without the support of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL Players Association, its club owners and most importantly, the athletes, who we’ll look forward to watching on the field in 2028.”  

This story has been updated.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

After an Indiana Pacers fan braved the chaos in New York City, its star Tyrese Haliburton is making sure he gets taken of during the Eastern Conference finals.

In the hours after the New York Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of their second round series to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, a man wearing a Haliburton jersey was seen roaming the streets around Madison Square Garden as Knicks fans flooded the area. The heavily pro-Knicks crowd didn’t like seeing someone wear the jersey of not only a heated rival, but of someone who New York will face in the next round.

The video went viral on social media, and former Colts punter Indiana sports mega-fan and Pat McAfee wanted to find out who the Pacers fan was. He found him, and had him join the popular ‘The Pat McAfee Show.’

The Pacers fan is Hans Perez, a New York firefighter who told McAfee he’s been a die-hard Pacers since he was a kid. He admitted he got too close to the frenzy happening in the streets, and at one point was looking for police.

‘I don’t know if I can go into the mob, but I’m going to go close by and feel the energy, get ready for the series,’ Perez said about his idea to go out. ‘It started getting a little more handsy. Dudes wanted the jersey. I started to get a little nervous.’

McAfee wasn’t the only one to see the brave effort from Perez. Haliburton saw the video and joined the show to give Perez a special gift.

‘I wanna personally bring you and a plus one out here to come to Game 4, here in Indiana,’ Haliburton said. ‘Everybody in our organization wants to make sure that you’re taken care of. The whole team’s excited to meet you.’

Perez was hyped about the invitation, and he now has the chance to see his favorite team play as it tries to reach its first NBA Finals in 25 years. Guess the brave action turned out to have some benefit.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have never won an NBA championship. They haven’t even played in the NBA Finals since joining the NBA as an expansion team in 1989.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been to the Finals once since relocating from Seattle in 2008, losing to the Miami Heat in 2012, and the franchise hasn’t won a title since the SuperSonics did in 1979 – when Jack Sikma’s fancy footwork and Gus Williams’ offense ruled the league.

One of those teams is going to the Finals as they meet in the Western Conference finals, starting with Game 1 Tuesday in Oklahoma City (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Who will it be?

Here are the storylines to watch in the Timberwolves vs. Thunder Western Conference finals:

Stars align with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards

Look at the NBA finalists and champions. You need stars to win, and both teams have them. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP finalist and very well could win the award for the first time in his career. He’s a scorer first, especially inside the 3-point line and at the foul line, but he can create for others. Teammate Jalen Williams was an All-Star for the first time this season, and though he had an inconsistent conference semifinals offensively, he delivered in Game 7 against Denver with 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The Thunder will need that from him against Minnesota.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards will make one of the three All-NBA teams this season as he gets closer to MVP territory. Just 23 years old, Edwards’ ability to score, rebound, pass and defend makes him difficult to match-up with offensively and defensively. He’s fun to watch and has a delightful swagger to his game. Forward Julius Randle was not an All-Star this season, but he has been one in the past and he’s playing like one now. Against Golden State in the conference semifinals, he scored 20 points in four of the five games, including 31 in Game 4 and produced a triple-double in Game 3.

X-factors on strong rosters

Every game has a player who makes a bigger-than-expected contribution. It’s not always the same player, especially with the depth Minnesota and Oklahoma City possess. For Minnesota, it might be Jaden McDaniel’s defense or Rudy Gobert’s rim protection. Or a timely 3-pointer from Mike Conley or a big game from Donte DiVincenzo or Naz Reid.

For the Thunder, Alex Caruso was that player in Game 7 against Denver, with 11 points, three assists, three steals and intense defense. Chet Holmgren – at 7-1 – can make 3s, rebound and block shots, presenting unique problems for the opponent. Center Isaiah Hartenstein can deliver a double-double and Lu Dort’s shooting and defense can impact the outcome. The Thunder will go deep into their bench with Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace, Isaiah Joe and Jaylin Williams.

Thunder-Timberwolves coaching matchup

It’s a players’ league, and they will determine the outcome with what they do or fail to do on the court. But coaches influence the outcome in multiple ways. Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault, the 2023-24 Coach of the Year, and Minnesota’s Chris Finch, who finished third for the award last season, are two of the best. Whether it’s finding an unusual rotation, designing a play to get a game-winning shot, going to a zone defense or using a coach’s challenge at the right time, their decisions will be scrutinized. Both have been fantastic over the past couple of seasons, and while they won’t have the same kind of say in who wins as the players, a great coach can steal a game with the right call at the right time.

Netflix is back at it again with another foray into its sports documentary series, and the latest one focuses on Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.

The very definition of the word ‘untold’ is inappropriate here, as those casual sports fans who don’t live and die by every game, or have a rooting interest in an athlete, certainly have heard about portions of Favre’s career on and off the field.

In other words, there isn’t much of anything new or earthshattering here, and because it was no shock that Favre is a non-participant in the documentary, you won’t see anything that resembles contrition for Favre’s well-documented misdeeds, either.

One of the more interesting parts of the latest ‘Untold’ from Netflix is that the documentary is only one hour long, which is surprising given the complexity of the subject featured.

In efforts to tell a balanced story, Favre’s career is the focus of the first 12 minutes of the film, and then Jenn Sterger makes an appearance to tell her story about Favre sending her unsolicited pictures of his private parts when they were both employed by the New York Jets.

‘Brett Favre ultimately destroyed my life,’ said Sterger, who was a Jets in-stadium game-day host. ‘When someone shows you who they are, believe them.’

To this day, according to Sterger, she has yet to meet Favre, who the NFL fined $50,000 for not cooperating with their investigation.

So, who exactly is Brett Favre? If you are watching this film looking for an answer to that question, you won’t find it here.

Favre apologists will undoubtedly look at the film as a glorified hit piece, and indeed, the last portion of the film, there isn’t much good if you’re looking for great things to be said about him. Sterger is extensively featured in the documentary, and her story could really stand to use its own episode to tie in the rest of Favre’s story.

And of course, it touches on the scandal concerning welfare funds in Mississippi, where Favre sought to build a new arena at Southern Mississippi, where his daughter was a member of the volleyball team.

The film also shows executive producer A.J. Perez listening to audio recordings after being threatened by Favre’s representatives for reporting on the Mississippi welfare scandal, which might be the most interesting part of the entire film. (Perez was previously employed as a reporter for USA TODAY.)

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Favre ended up using the courts to try to clear his name, suing media personalities Shannon Sharpe and Pat McAfee for defamation, as well as the State Auditor of Mississippi and two journalists, including Anna Wolfe, a reporter with Mississippi Today, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her reporting.

Sharpe said Favre would have to be a sorry person ‘to steal from the lowest of the low,’ and McAfee opined that the three-time NFL MVP was ‘stealing from poor people in Mississippi.’ A federal appeals court tossed out the lawsuit against Sharpe last September, and Favre dropped his suit against McAfee in 2023.

The documentary goes through its paces and does its job to hold a viewer’s attention, but if you are looking for mind-changing, thought-provoking content, this isn’t it.

A Florida state judge on Tuesday denied a request from the father of NFL rookie Travis Hunter to modify the father’s criminal sentence, saying it would look like “special treatment” if he allowed this simply because the father’s circumstances changed since his son was picked No. 2 overall in the NFL draft last month.

The father, Travis Hunter Sr., had asked the court to convert his remaining sentence of community control supervision to a less restrictive form of probation so that he can “assist his son with furthering his very promising career with the National Football League,” according to his request in court.

Hunter Sr., 39, is about halfway through the community control portion of his sentence stemming from gun and drug charges, according to his court filing. He received permission from the court to travel to Green Bay, Wisconsin, in April to attend the NFL draft with his son.

“In this case, he’s not only been successful in community control − he’s completed everything that he had in community control,” Hunter Sr.’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, told the judge. “And what’s so important to me is that his situation has changed.”

“You say that, but what’s going on with his son has not changed the landscape,” Judge Howard Coates said in a public hearing in Palm Beach County that also was viewable online.

In a separate ruling Tuesday, Judge Coates did grant permission for Hunter Sr. to travel to Tennessee this coming weekend to attend Hunter Jr.’s wedding there Saturday. Hunter Jr., the two-way star from Colorado, is now with the Jacksonville Jaguars after winning the Heisman Trophy in December.

The judge just didn’t want to modify Hunter Sr.’s sentence beyond these occasional special trips.

Judge questions ‘special treatment’

The judge noted that Hunter Sr.’s sentence came from a plea deal last year that was agreed to by the state and Hunter Sr. It included 90 days in jail and three years of probation, including one year in community control supervision. Community control in Florida is defined as an intensive supervision program in which defendants are confined to their homes unless they are working or attending approved activities, according to the state.The judge questioned why it should be changed simply because of his son’s success.

“I hear these circumstances have changed, you know, my hat’s off to his son,” the judge said. “I don’t know that changes the father’s situation for me. In fact, it’s given me some concern that you’re almost arguing for special treatment.”

“I’m not, judge, and I’ll tell you why,” Cohen said. “If someone was to win the lottery and someone was to get a new job, if someone was to move to a different neighborhood, all those situational changes aren’t asking for favoritism whatsoever. What I’m saying is his situation has changed in that his son is able to employ him. His son is able to give him stable housing and a stable environment. Those things are not asking for special treatment, judge. Those are simply issues that arose that changed the situational of an individual.”

The judge didn’t buy it. The state prosecutor also objected to the request while Hunter Sr. looked on in court.

“That’s not special treatment; I’m not looking at that,” Cohen said.

“So say you, but probably 99 percent of the public out there that doesn’t have an athlete son who’s incredibly successful, might look at this and say, ‘This sounds like special treatment for the athlete’s father,’” the judge replied.

The Lil Wayne connections to this case

Hunter Sr. is understandably trying to improve his situation through his son’s connections and budding pro football career. He is represented by attorney Bradford Cohen, a former contestant on “The Apprentice” who helped secure a gun-charge pardon from President Donald Trump for rapper Lil Wayne in 2021.

Lil Wayne is a friend of Hunter Jr. and Deion Sanders, Hunter Jr.’s coach at Colorado.

Lil Wayne also attended Hunter Jr.’s Heisman Trophy ceremony in December when Hunter Jr. talked about his dad not being there, telling his father he loved him and that “I did it for you, man.”

In another connection, Hunter Jr.’s agent is Adie Van Gontard, who co-founded with Lil Wayne the sports agency that enlists Hunter Jr. as a client.

What happened with Travis Hunter Sr.?

It stems from an incident in Lantana, Florida, in November 2023, when Hunter Sr. was pulled over by police after the officer said he didn’t have “any lights for the tag” on his car, according to the police report. Police identified him as a habitual traffic offender with no driver’s license and subjected him to a search that allegedly found drugs and a backpack with a pistol and loaded magazine, according to court records.

Cohen said there were “issues” with the underlying case against Hunter Sr., implying the plea deal he agreed to was made by prosecutors to move the case along.

Hunter Sr., a former high school sports star in Palm Beach County, ended up being charged with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon after a prior conviction in 2018 for “sale or possession of heroin with intent to sell.” Hunter Sr. reached a plea deal last year to plead guilty to drug possession and the gun charge, leading to a sentence of 90 days in jail. He got released on Dec. 5, just nine days before the Heisman ceremony in New York.

He also was sentenced to three years of probation, including one year of community control supervision, which was the subject of the hearing Tuesday.

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

The top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder are prohibitive favorites as they open the NBA’s Western Conference Finals Tuesday night against the No. 6-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Thunder needed to work a little harder to get here, going the distance against the Denver Nuggets before finally pulling away with a 125-93 victory in Game 7 behind 35 points from MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This marks the franchise’s sixth appearance in the conference finals since moving from Seattle in 2008, though Oklahoma City is still looking for its first title.

Minnesota earned a second consecutive trip to the conference finals by eliminating the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors in five games. By the time this game tips off, the Timberwolves will have enjoyed five full days of rest, compared to just one off day for the Thunder.

What time is Timberwolves vs. Thunder?

Game 1 of the NBA’s Western Conference Final series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder gets underway at 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT.

Timberwolves vs. Thunder predictions: Expert Picks

USA TODAY Sports experts make predictions ahead of the series Games 1:

Timberwolves vs. Thunder series winner

Jeff Zillgitt: Thunder in seven
Lorenzo Reyes: Thunder in six
Heather Tucker: Thunder in six
James Williams: Thunder in six
Jordan Mendoza: Timberwolves in six
Scooby Axson: Thunder in six
Cydney Henderson: Thunder in seven

Timberwolves vs. Thunder Game 1 winner

Jeff Zillgitt: Oklahoma City Thunder
Lorenzo Reyes: Oklahoma City Thunder
Heather Tucker: Oklahoma City Thunder
James Williams: Oklahoma City Thunder
Scooby Axson: Oklahoma City Thunder
Cydney Henderson: Oklahoma City Thunder

Timberwolves vs. Thunder odds

Odds via BetMGM as of Monday, May 19

Game 1 odds

Line: Thunder – 7.5
Moneyline: Thunder -325, Timberwolves +260
Over/under: 215.5

Odds to win Western Conference Final

Oklahoma City Thunder -350
Minnesota Timberwolves +280

How to watch Timberwolves vs. Thunder: TV, stream

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CT
Location: Paycom Center; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

The last time the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers met in the playoffs, Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference finals was memorable.

The game went to overtime and Ryan Lomberg’s goal for Florida in the first overtime was disallowed. The Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk scored with 12.7 seconds left in the fourth overtime for a 3-2 victory in the sixth-longest game in NHL history. Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 63 saves and Carolina’s Frederik Andersen had 57.

All except Lomberg are back as the defending champion Panthers and Hurricanes meet again in the conference finals. The Panthers are trying for a third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes, swept in 2023 in four one-goal losses, will try to end a 12-game losing streak in the conference finals.

Here’s what to know about Game 1 of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers:

What time is Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL playoff game?

Game 1 of the Carolina Hurricanes-Florida Panthers series is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET in Raleigh, North Carolina.

How to watch Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL playoff game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Lenovo Center (Raleigh, North Carolina)
TV: TNT
Stream: Sling TV, Max

If the NHL playoffs’ conference finals look familiar, it’s because both series are a repeat of recent matchups.

The Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers met in last season’s Western Conference finals. Edmonton won that series in six games and went on to lose in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

The Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers met in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals. Florida swept that series and lost in that year’s Stanley Cup Final before picking up the team’s first championship in 2024.

Here’s what the same and what’s different between now and the last time these teams met in the playoffs:

Dallas Stars vs. Edmonton Oilers

What’s the same for the Stars: Coach Peter DeBoer is in his third consecutive conference finals. Goalie Jake Oettinger, defenseman Miro Heiskanen and the rest of the core are mostly back.

What’s different for the Stars: They have a new-look first line with trade acquisitions Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund joining Roope Hintz. Rantanen leads the league in playoff scoring. Defenseman Thomas Harley is a bigger factor, stepping up during Heiskanen’s injury. Jason Robertson is trying to find his game again in the playoffs after coming back from an injury in the final game of the season.

What’s the same for the Oilers: Teams have to figure out how to shut down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Goalie Stuart Skinner again has bounced back after sitting out following a slow playoff start.

What’s different for the Oilers: Evander Kane is healthy and a force. He was hurting in last year’s series and eventually missed all of this regular season. He has four goals since his return. The Oilers have better scoring depth than last season. Newcomer Jake Walman leads the league with a plus-13 rating. Gritty Trent Frederic was added near the trade deadline. Edmonton is starting to get recognized for its defensive play.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers

What’s the same for the Hurricanes: Coach Rod Brind’Amour is the conference finals for the third time. The core is basically the same.

What’s different for the Hurricanes: Forward Andrei Svechnikov was hurt in the 2023 playoffs. He has eight goals this postseason. Goalie Frederik Andersen’s numbers are even better than his stellar stats from back then.

What’s the same for the Panthers: Paul Maurice continues his successful coaching. He has made the conference finals during each of his three seasons with the team. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, defenseman Aaron Ekblad and five of their top 2023 playoff scorers are still part of the core.

What’s different for the Panthers: They added forward Brad Marchand and defenseman Seth Jones before the trade deadline and they’re playing big roles. Marchand leads the team in playoff scoring while playing on the third line. Jones is averaging more than 25 minutes a game.

When it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles’ infamous ‘tush push,’ some have more to say than others.

The Eagles have made a living on that signature play that comes with many nicknames. In 2024, they rode that controversy all the way to a Super Bowl victory. That was enough to ramp up the conversation.

That became especially true when Shawn Hochuli channeled his inner annoyed principal and told the Washington Commanders he could award the Eagles a score in the NFC championship game.

So like kids on the playground at recess, some NFL teams have learned that life isn’t fair and they’re ready to do something about it.

Some have tried and almost all have failed to replicate the success that was pioneered by Jalen Hurts, Jason Kelce and Nick Sirianni. The Green Bay Packers chose to present the case to ban the controversial play, and NFL owners are set to vote on its fate this week.

The question is: Should it be banned? Does the ‘tush push’ rise to the level of annoyance like Silly Bandz or fidget spinners? Is it as dangerous as old-fashioned dodgeball or a book that found itself caught up in a heated political debate?

USA TODAY Sports’ NFL experts present their cases on the ‘Brotherly Shove’ and whether or not the play should be outlawed:

Nate Davis

I could be swayed to vote against the push play – but in the future, when it reaches the point of essentially being an automatic conversion league-wide, similar to what extra points became when they were 20-yard kicks. But now? Putting a stop to it in the moment feels something like a vendetta against the Super Bowl champion Eagles, who use it far more frequently – and effectively – than any other team.

After all, the NFL is only a copycat league when you can copy the cat – but the Eagles have tush-pushed like no other. And I’ve been around them more than enough to know how they feel.

Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson told me it’s basically a modified quarterback sneak, so legislating it out of the game is problematic – though I might concede having QB Jalen Hurts rammed from behind by TE Dallas Goedert and others could be the component of the play most logically disallowed.

Left tackle Jordan Mailata told me after last season’s NFC championship game rout of the Washington Commanders, who crumbled against the tush push – I see you, Frankie Luvu – that the strategy encapsulated Philly winning in the “mental warfare” department.

As for the notion it’s dangerous – despite the utter lack of data to support that theorem – come on. You really going to contend the tush push is more fraught with bodily risk than RB Saquon Barkley barreling toward a goal line packed with bodies at full speed – for him or defenders?

You want my vote to kill the tush push? Fine. Just bring me a better case than I’ve seen to date. Until then? Stop the Eagles. Or successfully mimic them.

Vote: Keep it!

Tyler Dragon

It seems that most of the NFL’s rules cater toward the offense and handicap the defense, so it’s kind of refreshing to see the NFL consider a rule that helps the defense. But the tush push isn’t a play the NFL should outlaw.

According to ESPN, the Eagles have a success rate of 86% since they started doing the tush push in 2022. The NFL average is 76%. While the success rate is high in short-yardage situations, the play isn’t unstoppable.

I’m all for the NFL becoming a bit more physical on both sides of football (and still remaining as safe as possible). There isn’t evidence to suggest that the tush push is a dangerous play. But it’s a physical play in an NFL game that’s becoming less physical. 

Vote: Keep it!

Tom Viera

The Eagles are one of 32 teams with a competitive advantage on this play. In 2024, they successfully executed 28 out of 34 ‘tush push’ attempts, according to Next Gen Stats. Other teams prepare for the play, but they still can’t stop it.

That’s bad for entertainment value, therefore it’s bad for business. Imagine in a few years’ time if all 32 teams learned to run the ‘tush push’ successfully; How’s that entertaining?

Dust off the traditional QB sneak perfected by Tom Brady, which never garnered the same level of ire and detest as the ‘tush push.’ Should the play be banned, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are likely to navigate this situation better than many expect.

Vote: Ban it!

Jack McKessy

The Green Bay Packers’ proposal to ban the play reads like a tattletale child on the playground that didn’t get included in the latest game of tag.

“Well if I can’t have fun, then no one should.”

All 32 teams could run the same exact play if they so choose. There’s no “secret” or “hidden method,” but the other 31 teams still don’t try it.

With that being the case, Occam’s razor would say the Eagles simply run a quarterback sneak play better than every other team, and every other team can’t run their own “tush push” effectively. It’s a copycat league, so why hasn’t this play been effectively copied yet in the three years since it’s been introduced?

That’s not to mention the poor wording of the current proposal, which leaves plenty of room for loopholes and liberal interpretations. And if the rule change does pass, the Eagles and other teams will simply find those loopholes or come up with other ways to run effective plays in short yardage situations.

Banning a play that only one out of 32 teams has used effectively and consistently for three years is like the teacher listening to that aforementioned tattletale child and banning the game of tag at recess. The rest of the kids are just going to find other ways to have fun.

Vote: Keep it!

Ayrton Ostly

Winning consistently in the NFL is tough. There are only so many ways to find small margins that make the difference on a weekly basis and teams shouldn’t be punished for finding advantages with their personnel.

The Eagles have one of the best offensive lines in the league and a powerful runner at quarterback. Getting the upper hand in leverage in the trenches is no new concept. Philadelphia’s just better at it than other teams due to their unique talent on the roster.

Don’t get mad and complain to the teacher (in this case, the NFL) to get the one kid banned from playing a game a certain way just because you can’t exactly replicate it or beat them. Figure out how to win. Other NFL teams need to catch up in doing it themselves and/or invest in better ways to combat it defensively.

Vote: Keep it!

Nick Brinkerhoff

Death, taxes and ‘tush push’ first downs can’t be the only things guaranteed in life.

Yes, other teams have failed, but what if they don’t going forward? Do we want to live in a world where players get their tushes pushed all game long? Think of the children – and the game that’ll be left behind.

As it’s said, one person has a tendency of ruining it for the rest. In this case, that’s the Eagles. Inadvertent or not, they pushed the envelope too far, making their play too big of a talking point. It’s a lot like that local restaurant that gets noticed by a big celebrity; You’re happy for their bottom line and the success that follows, but annoyed that the 20 minute wait is now 40 and items on the menu are sold out.

Sometimes there is too much of a good thing and the Eagles may learn that the hard way. The ‘tush push’ must go.

Vote: Ban it!

Joe Rivera

Much like D.J. Khaled, the Eagles are suffering from success.

Is it fair to penalize Philadelphia for being too good at one play? Probably not. However, unlike the NFL’s oftentimes reactionary and late-to-the-party nature on rule changes, it’s better for the league to get out in front of this than wait until the copycats crack the code on what makes the ‘tush push’ darn near automatic.

Sure, not all 31 other squads have a world-class offensive line and a quarterback who can squat Volkswagens, and at least a small fraction won’t for a long time, if ever.

But, as a fan, do you want to wait until that point in which those other teams are spending the majority of their Sundays pushing their own quarterbacks around more than the opposing team’s? Do you want to see the drama and suspense sucked out of critical short-yardage situations? That doesn’t sound like an entertaining product to watch.

No one has been able to replicate the Eagles’ success on the ‘tush push.’ That doesn’t mean the league never will. I’d rather not wait to find out what that looks like on NFL Sundays.

Vote: Ban it!

Final tally

Keep it: Four votesBan it: Three votes