Goodell says there’s momentum for expanding the playoffs

[Sicilian]

When you make it 8 teams, the calls begin for 10. It's the way it works. Sports history, both at the college and professional levels, shows this, conclusively.

6 is already 2 too many. Let's not make things even worse.

I haven't heard anyone clamoring for 10 teams in the NBA or NHL.

 

[Ring 6]

If the owners don't like how he is doing his job, they can fire him, to be sure, but he is not some monkey doing whatever they say. He independently balances multiple factors into his decision-making, taking into account owners, players, employees, consumers (fans), and the law. Fiscal concerns enter into each of those dimensions, but are not the sole means of evaluation.

No decision making done anywhere in the word is solely based on anything ignorant of other factors. I'm not sure why you insist on acting as if that is unique to this.
He is in the job to make the owners money, short term and long term.
"Fiscal concerns' are the center of every decision.

 

[Zeus]

I do sense considerable momentum building to hog-tie Roger and stuff him in a dumpster near 345 Park Ave. shortly before trash pick-up.

 

[Deus Irae]

I haven't heard anyone clamoring for 10 teams in the NBA or NHL.

Four more teams: Should NHL expand playoffs? - Sportsnet.ca

 

[Sicilian]

Four more teams: Should NHL expand playoffs? - Sportsnet.ca

Interesting, hadn't seen that. I'm giving it a .002% chance of happening though. Just because a couple nuts think of something doesn't mean there's a push to actually make it happen. The most important line in that article to me is:

collective bargaining talks have not touched the subject yet

Doesn't sound like it was too serious to me.

 

[Deus Irae]

Interesting, hadn't seen that. I'm giving it a .002% chance of happening though. Just because a couple nuts think of something doesn't mean there's a push to actually make it happen. The most important line in that article to me is:



Doesn't sound like it was too serious to me.

And, yet, as I said, the calls begin. You characterized things as "clamor". I did not. Watering down the playoffs for money, under the guise of "fairness" or "competition" or some other garbage catch word, is the consistent trend in college and pro sports.

 

[Sicilian]

And, yet, as I said, the calls begin. You characterized things as "clamor". I did not. Watering down the playoffs for money, under the guise of "fairness" or "competition" or some other garbage catch word, is the consistent trend in college and pro sports.

And that's fair, but it only matters if there's a chance it could happen. I can see the NFL expanding to 8 teams per conference. I'm willing to bet my left testicle (which is my favorite), that it will never see 10. I don't want to see 8, but I'm not worried that this is just the first step on the road to something ridiculous, because I believe there is a limit to what the expansion activists can reasonably convince people.

 

[ausbacker]

You do understand his job is to make money for the owners right?
You do understand the players get about half the money too right?

Yes Andy, I do understand that. His job is also to ensure a high quality of product. Further diluting the playoff pool does not improve the quality of the product.

In my opinion, Goodell is an excellent businessman and a tremendously poor commissioner.

 

[ausbacker]

If you posted this on this board in 2008 when we went 11-5 and missed out you would have been flamed mercilessly. I can sympathize with Cardinals fans this year.

Make it 8 teams each Conf. and screw the byes. Home field is enough of a reward. For the record I hate the regular season bye week to. Expand the roster limits to compensate. Name another profession where you get 35 weeks off if your company sucks.

Don't get me wrong it sucked but the ball was in the Patriots court much like it was in the Cardinals court. Both teams could have won the games they needed to make the playoffs. As far as I'm concerned, it's tough titties and you move on.

I understand the financial motivations to include extra teams, I simply don't like the idea because it takes away from the achievement of making the playoffs. 12 teams, to me, is just right.

Really, the NFL has an excellent playoff system. If history has told us anything it is people aren't happy with excellent.

 

[OhExaulted1]

When you make it 8 teams, the calls begin for 10. It's the way it works. Sports history, both at the college and professional levels, shows this, conclusively.

6 is already 2 too many. Let's not make things even worse.

I only really call for it when my team doesn't make it in, but my real point was I hate bye weeks. 4 is not enough. 10 would be watering it down though, and no, I don't want that either.

 

[OhExaulted1]

Don't get me wrong it sucked but the ball was in the Patriots court much like it was in the Cardinals court. Both teams could have won the games they needed to make the playoffs. As far as I'm concerned, it's tough titties and you move on.

I understand the financial motivations to include extra teams, I simply don't like the idea because it takes away from the achievement of making the playoffs. 12 teams, to me, is just right.

Really, the NFL has an excellent playoff system. If history has told us anything it is people aren't happy with excellent.

See post above. I'm an unapologetic homer.

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

The regular season is a long grind and taking away the bye for the best teams diminishes the value of the regular season by

1) taking away that rest week, a reward for 16 game excellence,

2) allowing mediocre teams (and 8-8, 7-9 teams are mediocre) a punchers chance to advance, when they did not even step up to the challenge of being the best in their division or having a winning record, for God's sake

3) making it a four game grind for EVERYONE, thus fluky things are more likely to happen. The odds of Michael Jordan making 4 free throws in a row, based on his career 83.5% success rate, would be 49%. The odds of the best NFL team winning any one game, even against a mediocre opponent, are less than that of MJ making a free throw. Having to do it 4 times mean that even more often you'll have teams without significant regular season excellence crowned as champion. Yay! Cinderella story! The 7-9 Bills topple the 7-9 Cowboys!

Rivalries, divisions, and even the existence of the whole regular season stop making sense. Might as well do away with the regular season altogether, have a 32 team single elimination tournament. Then you have another 32 team single elimination tournament. Then match up the winners in a Super Bowl. Of course that only make it an 11 week season.

We'd need to instead bump it up to 256 NFL teams, worldwide. An eight week tournament. A week off. Another eight week tournament. A week off. A super bowl.

Who cares about regular seasons anyway?

well, I guess I do.

 

[Deus Irae]

And that's fair, but it only matters if there's a chance it could happen. I can see the NFL expanding to 8 teams per conference. I'm willing to bet my left testicle (which is my favorite), that it will never see 10. I don't want to see 8, but I'm not worried that this is just the first step on the road to something ridiculous, because I believe there is a limit to what the expansion activists can reasonably convince people.

People always insist there's no slippery slope. People are almost always wrong.

 

[neuronet]

No decision making done anywhere in the word is solely based on anything ignorant of other factors. I'm not sure why you insist on acting as if that is unique to this.

Because some people (well, just you, really) are acting as if the main overarching concern he has with every decision is profits. That is false. Just read the bylaws, and look at some of his decisions. E.g., how did it help the NFL economically to take away our draft pick for spygate?

He is in the job to make the owners money, short term and long term. "Fiscal concerns' are the center of every decision.

No, moral and other concerns about the NFL are also sometimes central (e.g., Rapistburger suspension). Things are not so one-dimensional. That said, I have never ever seen you admit you were wrong, or unclear in expression, on this site, so I don't expect it now. :singing:

 

[neuronet]

People always insist there's no slippery slope. People are almost always wrong.

One trick he is using is "Well, we might add more teams, and also add Friday/Monday games." People focus on the latter as more obviously bad, and then the former doesn't seem as bad and people let it slide.

"Well, we are thinking of adding a two dollar tax to every gallon of gas, and also thinking of taking everybody's first born son and selling him to the Saudis."

Somehow this makes the first thing less bad, but it is just tactics.

 

[SacPete1]

When they added the extra wild card team many years ago, I didn't like it then but I could see the reasoning and it didn't change the extent of my viewing and it wouldn't this time either.

That being said, I would not be in favor of this and would certainly not be in favor of an additional Friday and Monday game.

I have not read one post on this topic that is actually in favor of expanding the playoffs and I just hope that Goodell doesn't spin this as "the fans want to see more football" as a means of justifying it. I would much rather it just be stated that the extra revenue warrants it and be done with it. Don't patronize or insult me with a politically motivated stance.

When they are/were considering an 18 game season, Goodell stated that this is what the fans wanted when in fact, the fans were in favor of reducing the preseason games. Go sell your snake oil somewhere else Roger; just give me the facts and truth.

 

[Deus Irae]

One trick he is using is "Well, we might add more teams, and also add Friday/Monday games." People focus on the latter as more obviously bad, and then the former doesn't seem as bad and people let it slide.

"Well, we are thinking of adding a two dollar tax to every gallon of gas, and also thinking of taking everybody's first born son and selling him to the Saudis."

Somehow this makes the first thing less bad, but it is just tactics.

They could make this work, and make it "fair", but it would completely eliminate divisions and rivals:

Expand to 34 teams, 17 in each conference
16 game season, 1 time against each conference opponent
No interconference play until the playoffs
8 teams in playoffs per conference
No named "divisional" or "conference" rounds
#1 v #8, #2 v #7, and so on, in a cross-conference playoff
Re-seed each round

I'd hate it, but it would at least be fair.

 

[SB39]

This whole thing reeks of the greasy hand prints of Jones and Snyder, with their lapdog RG working out the details. Sure, if it passes it will be every owner's fault (the ones who vote for it). But I suspect these two, and owners like them, see the world in a very certain way; one that says if you can't win by the rules then force the rules to be changed, problem solved.

It always cracks me up how people in here give Bob Kraft a free pass on these things. Kraft is as powerful and influential an owner as either of those guys, and I don't hear him speaking out opposing this expansion idea.

 

[SB39]

It certainly is clear that many on this board simply object to anything that Goodell does.

It's hilarious how people focus their rage on Goodell and give a free pass to owners. In order to change the system, 24 of 32 owners must approve. Goodell doesn't even have a vote.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

In my opinion, Goodell is an excellent businessman and a tremendously poor commissioner.

Given that the owners recently renewed his contract for another five or more years, they apparently think he's doing quite a good job.