Who’s up for tackle football?

I recently read a column that I found tucked away in the archives of ESPN. Not many people know this, but the late, great Hunter S. Thompson once wrote a column for ESPN titled "Hey Rube."

In this column, Thompson would ramble about anything from the Super Bowl to sports gambling and altering the rules of Major League Baseball to make it more interesting and entertaining, but one certain column really got me thinking.

In this column, Thompson details a conversation he had on the phone with Bill Murray, who acted as Thompson in the movie "Where the Buffalo Roam," about a new sport he had invented. The sport was called shotgun golf and was a sort of  collaboration of clay pigeon shooting and, of course, golf. The main objective: try to knock the golf ball off course as much as possible with a 12-gauge shotgun after your opponent tees off.

So anyway, after reading the column, I started thinking of another pair of sports to combine.

After much contemplation, my choice was obvious: basketball and football. For lack of a better name I'm going to call it tackle basketball.

Why not take two of America's favorite sports and slam them into each other at full speed? It would be epic.

 In a time when basketball is becoming more and more physical and more and more rules are being introduced to football, the two seem destined for each another.

We will recruit players from both sides of the spectrum, including players such as Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Randy Moss and Antonio Gates who used to play basketball and football.

Tackle basketball will be played on a regulation NBA basketball court with baskets at both ends, but the floor will be covered in grass or field turf, depending on whether it's an indoor or outdoor arena. Field lines and first down markers will still be needed, but will be measured in 10-foot increments rather than yards.

Players will be allowed to choose which type of uniform to wear, but full pads will be greatly encouraged.

All the rules from football would apply before the snap, but afterward everything would be fair game on offense. Running the ball would more than likely be the preferred method of moving the ball down the court, but forward laterals are also allowed.

Here's the twist. Shooting the ball into the basket will get you three points, but dunking the ball will get you six. If you make the dunk you get a shot at a free throw for the extra point.

Defenders can't hold or tackle any player not in possession of the ball. Shooters are allowed a chance at a shot, but any player attempting to dunk will be subject to all-out chaos. Imagine the plethora of in-air collisions. We've all seen LeBron's high-flying dunks, but imagine watching him soar in, only to be obliterated by a defender a la Jack Tatum.

Maybe this idea is a little ahead of its time, but it can't be too far off. Perhaps I'll work on a patent. In the words of Thompson, "The train is leaving the station … Invest now or forever hold your peace."

Jonas Swecker can be contacted at swecker@marshall.edu.