How Bye Weeks Could Work Better?

I was listening to Zo and Bertrand and a fan called in and proposed why not just have a bye week for everyone on the same week, similar to the All-Star breaks in baseball and basketball. I am not afraid to admit that this thought has never crossed my mind, partly because the Pats have usually had their bye week later in the season. I have been on record as saying I hate having the bye week so early this season, and that question resonated with me specifically because of this early weekend off. They even took it a step further and asked why not two bye weeks?

To those who might be a bit more knowledgeable than me, what would be the reason the NFL wouldn't implement something like that (other than being idiots)? What are the negative ramifications financially or contractually with the sponsors? It sounds like a great idea to me and do not understand why I have never heard this or anything similar presented about how the bye could be better if it were just smack in the middle of the season for everyone.

Discuss . . .

The NFL doesn't like to break momentum when it comes to their stranglehold on the entertainment market during the season. Hell, if they could somehow make the players play all year round they would.

The bye week isn't to give the players a break. It's to generate 17 TV weeks out of a 16 game schedule.

The NFL gets paid for broadcasting games on TV. This idea reduces revenue and is a non-starter.

BelichickFan said:

The bye week isn't to give the players a break. It's to generate 17 TV weeks out of a 16 game schedule.

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And they mentioned the same thing, which is also why I think they brought up the idea of two bye weeks. But yeah, you're right about it having more to do with 17 TV weeks than resting the players.

But I guess TV money is more important than player safety, huh Goody?

When has the NFL* not been about money? they really aren't too concerned about us fans because, as recent history has shown, the majority wins. Thus having only 4 teams out and 28 playing is still great odds (most are happy) and fans of the sport can always find a game that will be good to watch...

Either through fantasy football (which if you think isn't factored into the $$$, you are more nuts than R. Stokeo) or other teams of interest (how many people refer to having a secondary team of interest?)

An entire bye week for the league will never happen, but there should be another method to create a bye schedule that is more balanced so that teams don't have to stop playing after only 3 weeks, which is ridiculous. The byes shouldn't begin until after week 6 and should end after week 10 or the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and should be implemented in conjunction with the Thursday night games, which
also should not begin until after week 6.

BelichickFan said:

The bye week isn't to give the players a break. It's to generate 17 TV weeks out of a 16 game schedule.

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From a commercial/business point of view, they should add a second bye and extend the season further.

They tried 2 Bye weeks in 1993....it failed. People complained too much, so they got rid of it the next season in 1994.

PatsBoy12 said:

And they mentioned the same thing, which is also why I think they brought up the idea of two bye weeks. But yeah, you're right about it having more to do with 17 TV weeks than resting the players.

But I guess TV money is more important than player safety, huh Goody?

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A second bye week wouldn't be a bad idea in my opinion. One for every team in the first half of the season, and one in the second half. And it stretches out television revenue to 18 weeks.

captain stone said:

An entire bye week for the league will never happen, but there should be another method to create a bye schedule that is more balanced so that teams don't have to stop playing after only 3 weeks, which is ridiculous. The byes shouldn't begin until after week 6 and should end after week 10 or the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and should be implemented in conjunction with the Thursday night games, which
also should not begin until after week 6.

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I like the idea of having byes on week 7 to week 11. I don't think the NFL will ever get rid of Thursday games.

I also think they should make another try at having an 18-week schedule with 2 byes. It could increase revenue, quality of play and player health alike, so there are a lot of advantages to offset whatever problems it causes.