Today the NFL powers-that-be voted to change the overtime rules, so that in the postseason, the loser of the OT coin toss will still be granted one posession if the winner of the coin toss scores only a field goal.

Obviously, there is only one man to thank.

No, not Roger Goodell silly. Though his support and lobbying helped gain the number of votes required to pass the measure, Roger is merely a foot soldier to the real power behind the NFL.

Brett Favre.

After massive out-cry from the press that their favored son was never given an opportunity to throw yet another game-ending NFC championship interception, it finally became convenient for the NFL to recognize the long-held truth that field goal kickers are better today than they were when the OT rules were put in place thirty plus years ago.

Goodell has been in the commissioner’s office for almost 4 years. The statistics for improved accuracy of field goals and the impact of moving the kick-off spot back 5 yards have been availble for longer than that.

The only difference between a year ago at this time and today – beside Obama’s finally passing some legislation – is that Brett Favre failed on the biggest stage and helped shine a spotlight  on the problem for his media apologists to rail against.

In this view, Brett didn’t throw away the NFC Championship when he threw that interception in the final minutes that ended what should have been the game winning drive for the Vikings. No, it is the arcane OT rules that kept Brett from the Super Bowl.

I have long joked about the massive crush many in the media harbor for the Wrangler-wearing, gun-slinger from Mississippi. But never did I imagine the NFL would actually change the rules to help off-set his inevitable post-season failure.

Mea culpa, Brett. I shall never doubt your power again.

You know, I am starting to think we don’t give Favre enough credit for being a genius.

 He sucks for half of last year, not because he is old and came to camp late so he didn’t get in shape, instead it is because he has a bad arm (because he is old and came to camp late so he didn’t get in shape, but that is never pointed out by fawning football press).

 Now, he has one bad performance and is pre-emptively laying out the rationale for another stink-bomb of a game tonight and in the foreseeable future (even giving him a window to re-re-re-retire). For being a dumb redneck, the man is a genius.

In the spirit of Twitter, I have decided to occasionally post a short comment with my immediate reaction to some development in football. I call these Snap Judgments. Get it? I know. the brilliance never ends around here.

After all of the worry and stress about the changes in the Broncos over the past spring, the first quarter looks like the same team we all watched last year – the defense giving up big plays, offense moving well through the air but not the ground and a QB throwing a pick in the red zone.