5 YARD PENALTY FOR PLEADING

We've all seen the replay a million times. Tom Brady turning to the refs and asking for a roughing the passer penalty.

Was it a good call? Yes. Is it a good rule? No. It needs to be expanded upon.

Rodney Harrison called out Brady for his lobbying. And rightfully so. Before Anti-Patriot Nation (also known as the USA southwest of Hartford) goes nuts about this, Harrison and Brady are friends. And Brady's not the only football player who's looked for a call.

But he should be the last.

It's bad enough the NFL makes these over-protective rules. What's worse is when players whine and moan after dropping a ball. The rules are lame, the whining is lame, it's just lame upon lame.

So make a new rule. Any player that gestures to an official, looking to get a call, will have his team penalized 5 yards. It'll be an after whistle kind of penalty, so plays won't be altered or called back because of it. A 50 yard pass won't be negated, it'll simply be 1st & 15 instead of 1st & 10.

Receivers flicking their wrist, pretending to throw the yellow flag: that's 5 yards. What Brady did: that's 5 yards. Defenders doing the holding sign with their hands: 5 yards.