Why doesn't the NFL fix their stupid bye system

[RhodyPatriot]

I've never understood why the NFL goes with this ridiculously unfair bye system. It's an absolute joke and has been since its' inception. Why can't they figure out a way to have half the AFC and NFC take week 8 off and the remaining half of the AFC and NFC take week 9 off???
There are 4 divisions in each conference.
Have the AFC East - NFC South - AFC North - NFC West take week 8 off
Have the NFC East - AFC South - NFC North - AFC West take week 9 off
Each season they can flip it so last year those who had week 8 now have week 9 and and so on.
This is a fair system for every team and it provides regional games for every TV market in the country during the 2 bye weeks. I simply don't understsnd why they can't figure this out. Don't tell me it's a sceduling thing because I don't buy that at all.
I don't get it!! Can someone explain to me why the NFL can't streamline the bye weeks and make them middle of the season for every team??
Anyone????

 

[JoePats]

I said in another thread that they should just give one whole division a week off and rotate them every year, weeks 4 thru 11.

There's no way they would give half the league off in the same week. First of all DirectTV wouldn't like that at all. Because with only 8 games, two in primetime, that leaves 6 for Sunday afternoon. I'm sure there are other reasons.

Also, are you complaining about this because the Pats have a week 4 bye week this year? That's bad, but we had a great bye week last year.

 

[Kontradiction]

I said in another thread that they should just give one whole division a week off and rotate them every year, weeks 4 thru 11.

There's no way they would give half the league off in the same week. First of all DirectTV wouldn't like that at all. Because with only 8 games, two in primetime, that leaves 6 for Sunday afternoon. I'm sure there are other reasons.

Also, are you complaining about this because the Pats have a week 4 bye week this year? That's bad, but we had a great bye week last year.

This is the better idea.

 

[pats1]

They tweaked it a year or two ago, shortening the bye window by a week on each end, IIRC.

Remember the Pats had a Week 3 bye in 2004. The earliest bye is now Week 4.

Also remember they originally had a Week 17 bye in 2001, which turned into Week 16 after 9/11. The latest bye is now Week 10.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Still hate the bye, would rather it after 8 weeks, after 3 weeks is way too soon..

 

[Gumby]

You could still go half way between the two proposals suggested and end up with: bye weeks from weeks 7-10.

2 divisions off per week for 4 weeks instead of either
4 divisions off per week for 2 weeks or
1 division off per week for 8 weeks

in a normal week (non-bye) you have 16 games with 1 Thur/Mon, 1 Sun nt, and 14 Sunday. (7 1pm start / 7 4pm start)

If you take 8 teams out of mix that means 12 games and still 10 on Sunday (5 at 1pm / 5 at 4pm). That is still reasonable.

Granted the previous changes improved the completely absurd week 17 or week 1 bye situations. But that doesn't mean just because the current situation is better than plain stupid that we have to live with it forever.

 

[JoePats]

Also remember they originally had a Week 17 bye in 2001, which turned into Week 16 after 9/11. The latest bye is now Week 10.

That was ridiculous. But that was before the Texans, so there were an odd number of teams. Someone must have had a week 1 bye then no?

Edit: Arizona had a week 1 bye that year. Now that's worth complaining about. That's why you need an even number of teams.

 

[dhamz]

Still hate the bye, would rather it after 8 weeks, after 3 weeks is way too soon..

I've heard numerous players and coaches say they prefer a bye around week 5 because at that point they have been practicing for 12 weeks and playing games for 9 weeks (preseason included) without a break.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

I've heard numerous players and coaches say they prefer a bye around week 5 because at that point they have been practicing for 12 weeks and playing games for 9 weeks (preseason included) without a break.

I guess but we did pretty well at the half way point last yr.

 

[TruthSeeker]

It's no big deal. Are you claiming that it was better than when there was no bye week???

The scheduling of the bye is such a minor issue. Does it even make a 1 point difference in the spread? I don't think so. That indicates how insignificant it is.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I actually talked about this in this thread back in February.

There's no fundamental reason they can't schedule the bye over just three weeks. Or, perhaps, why not give every team a week off, and have two eight-week half-seasons in which every team plays every week?

 

[letekro]

I've never understood why the NFL goes with this ridiculously unfair bye system. It's an absolute joke and has been since its' inception. Why can't they figure out a way to have half the AFC and NFC take week 8 off and the remaining half of the AFC and NFC take week 9 off???
There are 4 divisions in each conference.
Have the AFC East - NFC South - AFC North - NFC West take week 8 off
Have the NFC East - AFC South - NFC North - AFC West take week 9 off
Each season they can flip it so last year those who had week 8 now have week 9 and and so on.
This is a fair system for every team and it provides regional games for every TV market in the country during the 2 bye weeks. I simply don't understsnd why they can't figure this out. Don't tell me it's a sceduling thing because I don't buy that at all.
I don't get it!! Can someone explain to me why the NFL can't streamline the bye weeks and make them middle of the season for every team??
Anyone????

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[PatsFan24]

week 4 is early, but last year it was about perfect, right after the indy game week 10. it cant be great every year, some years this will happen. in 2004 they had week 3 off, this is at least better than that

 

[PATRIOT64]

I've never understood why the NFL goes with this ridiculously unfair bye system. It's an absolute joke and has been since its' inception. Why can't they figure out a way to have half the AFC and NFC take week 8 off and the remaining half of the AFC and NFC take week 9 off???
There are 4 divisions in each conference.
Have the AFC East - NFC South - AFC North - NFC West take week 8 off
Have the NFC East - AFC South - NFC North - AFC West take week 9 off
Each season they can flip it so last year those who had week 8 now have week 9 and and so on.
This is a fair system for every team and it provides regional games for every TV market in the country during the 2 bye weeks. I simply don't understsnd why they can't figure this out. Don't tell me it's a sceduling thing because I don't buy that at all.
I don't get it!! Can someone explain to me why the NFL can't streamline the bye weeks and make them middle of the season for every team??
Anyone????

Quit cher *****in and stop whining!!!!!


It was O.K. when NE had the perfect bye week last year but as soon as we have a lousy week 4 bye like this year goofballs are whining like a baby and want changes all of a sudden.

Just Quit the sh!t already - please

If you don't like the bye week system then watch another sport - the NFL bye week system is fine the way it is and is not likely to change any time soon - get over it

 

[Patjew]

Quit cher *****in and stop whining!!!!!


It was O.K. when NE had the perfect bye week last year but as soon as we have a lousy week 4 bye like this year goofballs are whining like a baby and want changes all of a sudden.

Just Quit the sh!t already - please

If you don't like the bye week system then watch another sport - the NFL bye week system is fine the way it is and is not likely to change any time soon - get over it

Wow! Tempers are running high.

Aside from your anger, I actually agree with you.

 

[PATRIOT64]

Wow! Tempers are running high.

Aside from your anger, I actually agree with you.

Sorry for sounding MAD Patjew but I am because I get sick and tired of jerks who want the NFL to change things totally around just because its for the benefit of the Patriots and if it were the other teams getting the bye in week 4 and the Patriots getting week 10 again then you would hear "f-the other teams with a lousy bye we have a perfect bye" - I think that stinks but of course there is nothing I or anyone can do except wish they would come to grip with reality and respect what the NFL has per its schedule or like I said find another sport to watch.

 

[Patjew]

Sorry for sounding MAD Patjew but I am because I get sick and tired of jerks who want the NFL to change things totally around just because its for the benefit of the Patriots and if it were the other teams getting the bye in week 4 and the Patriots getting week 10 again then you would hear "f-the other teams with a lousy bye we have a perfect bye" - I think that stinks but of course there is nothing I or anyone can do except wish they would come to grip with reality and respect what the NFL has per its schedule or like I said find another sport to watch.

I hear you. Just don't give yourself a heart attack.

 

[RhodyPatriot]

Quit cher *****in and stop whining!!!!!
It was O.K. when NE had the perfect bye week last year but as soon as we have a lousy week 4 bye like this year goofballs are whining like a baby and want changes all of a sudden.
Just Quit the sh!t already - please
If you don't like the bye week system then watch another sport - the NFL bye week system is fine the way it is and is not likely to change any time soon - get over it

Relax Tinkerbell! Your satin panties are getting all bunched up. Funny but I don't recall ever stating that I thought last years late bye week was fair to the Patriots. Certainly was a hell of a lot closer to the midway point of the season than a week 4 bye though still too late IMO.
No reason why the NFL can't make the bye system equitable for all teams. ALL teams!! The system they have in place now is a joke and has been for years. But as some of you accurately point out it's all about the $$$$$$$.

 

[Pats726]

They tweaked it a year or two ago, shortening the bye window by a week on each end, IIRC.

Remember the Pats had a Week 3 bye in 2004. The earliest bye is now Week 4.

Also remember they originally had a Week 17 bye in 2001, which turned into Week 16 after 9/11. The latest bye is now Week 10.

yes...but that was a year that had 31 teams..with an odd number ONE team every week had to have a bye..

 

[captain stone]

Quit cher *****in and stop whining!!!!!


It was O.K. when NE had the perfect bye week last year but as soon as we have a lousy week 4 bye like this year goofballs are whining like a baby and want changes all of a sudden.

Just Quit the sh!t already - please

If you don't like the bye week system then watch another sport - the NFL bye week system is fine the way it is and is not likely to change any time soon - get over it

What the eff is your problem? Do you always insult people with whom you disagree, or do you just not like independent thought in general? If it were up to people like you, the queen of England would still have her face on our money.

The fact is, the bye system is flawed and needs to be fixed. There is no way - no way - that a team should have a bye earlier than after its 4th game.

I like Gumby's plan the best: 2 divisions off, one from each conference, for 4 weeks, beginning Week 7. The divisions can then rotate bye schedules over 4 years, similar to how a division from one conference plays a different division from the other conference every year for 4 years.

Also, with bye weeks being determined by division, the unfairness of scheduling one team, coming off a bye, against another team, not coming off a bye, is eliminated.

This plan is simple, easy and fair...and unlikely to be passed any time soon. Remember, this is the same league that for years had St.Louis/Arizona and Dallas in the NFC East, and Atlanta in the NFC West.