League source: "Expanding playoffs to 14 teams WILL happen"

[Calhoun44]

Is it possible that they are considering a play in game for #6 and #7? The rest of the field gets a week off and the two squeak-in teams have to play an extra game? That is the only way it would make sense to me. Maybe drop the extra week between the SB and finally get rid of the Pro Bowl.

 

[patsfan-1982]

so the 7 seed plays the 2 seed so that means the pats would have faced the 8-8 Steelers who won 3 in a row, I know the pats record vs pit is pretty good but a vet team getting hot at the end of the season is not a team I wanna face without a by week

 

[SB39]

The hatred for Roger Goodell on display in threads like this one or the Draft Day one is hilarious. What's especially hilarious is how incredibly few people reference the place where the blame actually belongs: ownership.

So if you hate this idea or if you hate the Thursday night 1st round then feel free to blame the people who deserve it; men like Jerry Jones, Dan Snyder and yes folks, Bob Kraft.

 

[patfanken]

This whole thing is a great big FU by the NFL to its fans. This is probably the one issue that most fans can agree with. In EVERY poll I've ever seen on this over 90% of fans are against it. Its strictly a money grab, and really unfair to teams who have excelled.

In the NBA and NHL its rare for a team that sneaks into the playoffs to ever beat a much higher seed, because of the 7 game format. But in the NFL, even so called "horrible" teams can beat a great team, in a one and done format. Even more so, a solid .500 team. The injustice that befell the Saints a few years ago will happen much more often now. No other league comes close to the fact that a #7 seed has a better chance to beat a #2 than in the NFL.

Count me among those who will be ashamed of Bob Kraft if he votes for this change.

 

[SB39]

Is it possible that they are considering a play in game for #6 and #7? The rest of the field gets a week off and the two squeak-in teams have to play an extra game? That is the only way it would make sense to me. Maybe drop the extra week between the SB and finally get rid of the Pro Bowl.

I like this idea for other sports but think it just won't work for football. The top 2 seeds would have 2 full weeks off which I don't think would be a good thing (EDIT: deleted for inaccuracy - damn my faulty memory. ).

I doubt a team, if given the choice, would want that much time off.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

Is it possible that they are considering a play in game for #6 and #7? The rest of the field gets a week off and the two squeak-in teams have to play an extra game? That is the only way it would make sense to me. Maybe drop the extra week between the SB and finally get rid of the Pro Bowl.

Or the other possibility would be to go like the NBA and split the NFL into 2 Conferences with no divisions.

2 Conferences: I like the idea of East/West for travel, but prefer the idea of rivarly across the country.
16 teams in each conference play each other and then their counterpart from the other conferences. This would also be a horrendous idea as fanswould be very bored playing the same set of teams each year with little room for great division rivalries.

Not to mention that the owners/Gooddell would see this as an opportunity to in crease games or add another team to each conference

 

[Calhoun44]

I like this idea for other sports but think it just won't work for football. The top 2 seeds would have 2 full weeks off which I don't think would be a good thing (and I say that despite the fact that AFAIK the only team to have back to back weeks off was the 2001 Patriots who won the Super Bowl).

I doubt a team, if given the choice, would want that much time off.

Good point. I had not thought of that.

 

[Galeb]

What's especially hilarious is how incredibly few people reference the place where the blame actually belongs: ownership.

Much of what "the Commissioner" does is simply following the will of ownership, or subset thereof. There are few people who would deny this, and those that would are clearly fools. Just like those who deny that he has his own agenda and tries to put his fingerprints on every aspect of the NFL that he can.

 

[oldrover]

Prediction: they go to 14 playoff teams... it's a cluster****...

and then the ownership says the perfect remedy at that point HAS to be...

















...you got it...

















...going to 16 playoff teams." :bricks::bricks::bricks:

 

[SB39]

Much of what "the Commissioner" does is simply following the will of ownership, or subset thereof. There are few people who would deny this, and those that would are clearly fools.

I don't see anyone denying the above, I just see countless threads in this forum criticizing the NFL for various things with the vast majority of comments being pure Goodell hatred.

Blaming Goodell for these moves is nothing more than blaming an employee for doing exactly what his boss (or in this case, bosses) instruct him to do. The hatred should be directed at them.

 

[Sicilian]

Prediction: they go to 14 playoff teams... it's a cluster****...

and then the ownership says the perfect remedy at that point HAS to be...

















...you got it...

















...going to 16 playoff teams." :bricks::bricks::bricks:

As much as I don't like the expansion idea, I don't think there's any chance of it being a CF. It lines up pretty easily, just eliminates one bye team. Same number of weeks in the playoffs, same regular season scheduling, etc. It waters down the field, but the logistics to the addition are extremely basic. They almost CAN'T screw it up.

 

[TonyTucker]

Hell, why not just make it 16 games and watered down like the NBA and NHL? 12 teams is PERFECT. Two byes, two division winners, two wild cards.

And the league hasn't been lacking in mediocre champions lately. 2012 Ravens were 10-6, 2011 Giants were NINE AND SEVEN. The Packers were 10-6, but at least for that year they were really good on both sides of the ball and had a ton of injuries. I think they were legit.

The last 10 champion seedings: 2, 6, 3, 5, 2, 1, 6, 4, 4, 1. Four byes, three division winners, three wild cards. Pretty balanced if you ask me.

And it makes the race even less interesting if you've got one super team like say the 2007 Patriots who jump out to a 12-0 record with a win over the next closest team, the 10-2 Colts. The 10-2 team knows they probably won't catch the 12-0 one, so they'll just shut it down.

 

[SB39]

Hell, why not just make it 16 games and watered down like the NBA and NHL? 12 teams is PERFECT. Two byes, two division winners, two wild cards.

And the league hasn't been lacking in mediocre champions lately. 2012 Ravens were 10-6, 2011 Giants were NINE AND SEVEN. The Packers were 10-6, but at least for that year they were really good on both sides of the ball and had a ton of injuries. I think they were legit.

The last 10 champion seedings: 2, 6, 3, 5, 2, 1, 6, 4, 4, 1. Four byes, three division winners, three wild cards. Pretty balanced if you ask me.

And it makes the race even less interesting if you've got one super team like say the 2007 Patriots who jump out to a 12-0 record with a win over the next closest team, the 10-2 Colts. The 10-2 team knows they probably won't catch the 12-0 one, so they'll just shut it down.

Why would they shut it down? Even if they concede the #1 spot, they'd still rather be #2 than #3 so they would play on for that reason.

I don't like this new format, but won't lose any sleep over it either.

 

[Galeb]

I don't see anyone denying the above, I just see countless threads in this forum criticizing the NFL for various things which the vast majority of comments being pure Goodell hatred.

Blaming Goodell for these moves is nothing more than blaming an employee for doing exactly what his boss (or in this case, bosses) instruct him to do. The hatred should be directed at them.

That is a poor analogy. A better analogy, though still far from perfect, would be a CEO to major investors. People who rise to the level of CEO or Commissioner of a major sports league are always very ambitious. Believing ambitious men simply carry out direct orders of their superiors is naive at best.

It is possible that you are unaware of the leniency Goodell has shown vs some teams vs. the clear prejudice he has shown towards others. That said, such ignorance would mean you know almost nothing of Goodell's actions and history and should not be taking part in any such discussion, nevermind calling others out on the subject.

 

[captain insano]

 

[Kontradiction]

Another awful rules change by an awful commissioner. This guy, unless something drastic happens, is going to be in office for a very, very long time. If crap like this keeps happening, he's going to completely ruin the game. People can only take so much when it comes to watering down and changing the game for the sake of greed.

 

[PatriotReign]

What a terrible idea.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Another awful rules change by an awful commissioner. This guy, unless something drastic happens, is going to be in office for a very, very long time. If crap like this keeps happening, he's going to completely ruin the game. People can only take so much when it comes to watering down and changing the game for the sake of greed.

Yes but this CEO's incentive bonus $ to grow revenue (see post #19) as always comes from his Board of Directors, the owners. Some owners are against this expansion, but Goodie has carte blanch to lobby against them. Owners have huge operational responsibilities that require their constant attention while The Tool spends 24/7 working to make his bonu$. In the end the revenue growth changes WILL happen. Enjoy what you can while you can.

 

[Froob]

According to my sources familiar with Roger Goodell's train of thought, there have been too many complains that the league is "bullying" the 20 teams that aren't allowed into the playoffs each season. Another proposal brought up to the league was to stop keeping track of score. It's unlikely to see much opposition. Don't shoot the messenger.

 

[Sicilian]

According to my sources familiar with Roger Goodell's train of thought, there have been too many complains that the league is "bullying" the 20 teams that aren't allowed into the playoffs each season. Another proposal brought up to the league was to stop keeping track of score. It's unlikely to see much opposition. Don't shoot the messenger.

I hear they're going to keep score, but a new system will be implemented where a panel of seven judges will score each team on a list of new criteria:

- Swagger
- "Big" plays
- Flashiness/Style
- Verbal cleanliness
- Pre-snap Showmanship

These totals will be combined with a fan vote via twitter for "Most fun team to watch", and an average score will be created. In the event of an exact tie, a coin will be flipped. If the coin lands on it's side, the tie will be broken based on who scored the most points in the game.