Thursday Night games ?????????

[JR4]

Whose brain child was this?

It's bad enough some teams have to play on Thankgiving but to
make all these teams play short weeks is just asking for trouble. IMO
Aren't there enough injuries in the NFL already? Having guys play
without normal few days rest and recovery is dumb. IMO

Then there is the preparation angle. Some of these teams could be in close
races. Ravens to night for instance. They are fighting for that 2nd playoff seed. It just does not seem fair. Why? .... NFL Money is my guess.

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

Tonights game has the making of something good, normally with a weeks preparation. Bengals need to win to stay in the WC hunt, and Ravens lock up the division with a win and get one step closer to a 1st round bye.

If the NFL is going to do this, they should have both teams coming off a bye week to minimize injuries, and allow time for good game planning.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

Whose brain child was this?

It's bad enough some teams have to play on Thankgiving but to
make all these teams play short weeks is just asking for trouble. IMO
Aren't there enough injuries in the NFL already? Having guys play
without normal few days rest and recovery is dumb. IMO

Then there is the preparation angle. Some of these teams could be in close
races. Ravens to night for instance. They are fighting for that 2nd playoff seed. It just does not seem fair. Why? .... NFL Money is my guess.

Of course it all comes down to money. It <i>always</i> comes down to money.

But in this case, the NFL is making money the way an entertainment company is supposed to make money -- by giving the consumer what it wants. What we want is more football, so they're giving it to us. All in all, that's pretty nice of them.

We the fans benefit from this ploy a lot more than we do from the NFL's exclusive contract w/ Reebok for sideline apparell that gave birth to the most hideous suit (and clip-on tie) known to man. (I swear to god, instead of "Dry Clean Only," the label probably said "Spray clean with warm water.")

As for the teams that have to play a short weak -- it sucks for them both, pretty much equally. Both teams played 1pm games last Sunday, and both have the exact same short weak. Both teams will then get a longer weak before their next games. I suppose if anybody had room for complaint, it would be KC and Oakland, who will be playing teams coming off of extra rest.

All told, I don't think it's such a big deal as to override the intitial positive of the whole thing -- another day of NFL football. Yay!

(Now, if only my local cable company would cary the !#$@% NFL network...)

 

[CTPatsFan]

Cha-ching!

Fact is the NFL could probably put a game on every night of the week and still pull in the viewer.

On a semi-related note, it's probably only a matter of time until the NFL Network holds the rights to every game and puts them on pay-per-view.

 

[Murphys95]

Whose brain child was this?

It's bad enough some teams have to play on Thankgiving but to
make all these teams play short weeks is just asking for trouble. IMO
Aren't there enough injuries in the NFL already? Having guys play
without normal few days rest and recovery is dumb. IMO

Then there is the preparation angle. Some of these teams could be in close
races. Ravens to night for instance. They are fighting for that 2nd playoff seed. It just does not seem fair. Why? .... NFL Money is my guess.

I agree with you. IMO, the NFL is watering down its product by televising games 4 days a week now (Saturdays are coming up). I love football, but I love the anticipation leading up to Sunday every week.

 

[miamipat]

I'm sure these teams wont be complaining when they have an extra 3-4days to prepare/rest for next weeks games. Its a good news/bad news scenario when teams have to play on Thursday but basically its all about the $$$

 

[mgcolby]

NFL Football on Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Saturday (soon) makes me very happy.

As for the short week of preperation every game with the exception of the Cowboys - Falcons is a division game. The teams should be familiar with one another, especially since this is the 2nd game of season. The only team that gets screwed a little is the team that has to travel. But it didn't seem to bother Billick, he gave his players Monday and half of Tuesday off and then the team traveled on Wendsday. As another poster noted it also gives both teams additional days to prep for their next game. There are pro's and con's in everything, but the fans are the true winners (from my point of view).

The only selfish complaint that I have is the fact that DTV Sunday Ticket went up in price (again) this season and they are actually showing less games.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

I agree with you. IMO, the NFL is watering down its product by televising games 4 days a week now (Saturdays are coming up). I love football, but I love the anticipation leading up to Sunday every week.

And will the anticipation for this Sunday's Pats game be any lessened by watching the Bengals/Ravens game tonight ? (As opposed to being lessened the fact that against the Lions?)

No.

I imagine for most fans, this is merely an appetizer before the meal that is their team's game on Sunday.

 

[BelichickFan]

It's awesome, you can't have too much of a good thing. It's not unfair, both teams have a short week. It's actually an advantage IMO, both teams have a short week for this game but then they have a long week that their next opponent doesn't have for the following week.

 

[DESERTPAT]

NFL Football on Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Saturday (soon) makes me very happy.

As for the short week of preperation every game with the exception of the Cowboys - Falcons is a division game. The teams should be familiar with one another, especially since this is the 2nd game of season. The only team that gets screwed a little is the team that has to travel. But it didn't seem to bother Billick, he gave his players Monday and half of Tuesday off and then the team traveled on Wendsday. As another poster noted it also gives both teams additional days to prep for their next game. There are pro's and con's in everything, but the fans are the true winners (from my point of view).

The only selfish complaint that I have is the fact that DTV Sunday Ticket went up in price (again) this season and they are actually showing less games.

I've had Sunday Ticket for 3 seasons now and the price has gone up the last two seasons. I fully expect another price increase next year, I will seriously consider not re-upping and going instead with Sirius Radio. Somewhere along the line the gouging is gonna have to stop.

 

[BelichickFan]

I've had Sunday Ticket for 3 seasons now and the price has gone up the last two seasons. I fully expect another price increase next year, I will seriously consider not re-upping and going instead with Sirius Radio. Somewhere along the line the gouging is gonna have to stop.

Why is it gouging ? I would happily pay $20 a week for just the Patriots games. I pay less than that and get them all. It's a heck of a deal for those of us who live across the country and can't go to the games. Heck, it costs, what, $30 just to park at Gillette ? NFL Season Ticket is a bargain.

 

[BrianPat]

ok, I know everyone in here wants a link to stories that are quoted, but it's been over a week since I saw the story online, I'll look for it and post it if I find it.

" Congress has taken an interest in the fact the NFL channel is broadcasting live NFL games and may investigate "

Again, I'm sorry I don't have a link to support this, I'll see what I can find and post it

 

[BrianPat]

The link to the story

http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2006Nov14/0,4670,FBNCongressNFL,00.html

 

[BelichickFan]

ok, I know everyone in here wants a link to stories that are quoted, but it's been over a week since I saw the story online, I'll look for it and post it if I find it.

" Congress has taken an interest in the fact the NFL channel is broadcasting live NFL games and may investigate "

Again, I'm sorry I don't have a link to support this, I'll see what I can find and post it

There's a thread about this from about a week ago.

 

[BelichickFan]

There's a thread about this from about a week ago.

Here it is :

http://208.109.107.176/new-england-patriots/messageboard/showthread.php?t=45029

 

[mgcolby]

I've had Sunday Ticket for 3 seasons now and the price has gone up the last two seasons. I fully expect another price increase next year, I will seriously consider not re-upping and going instead with Sirius Radio. Somewhere along the line the gouging is gonna have to stop.

Its gone up every year since I first bought in 99. It will not stop going up because suckers like me keep buying it.

But what is transplanted New Englander to do? Its either go to the Bar and spend much more than the cost of ST, listen over the internet, Sirius radio (which I have) or hope that the game is on the local tv and when you live in the DC market, that only happens if it is a national game.

I will get the bill next year grumble a bit and then make the 5 payments, remember when it was only 4?

 

[Pat_Nasty]

I find the NFL's exclusive deal with Sunday Ticket incredibly frustrating.

Not only does DirecTV not have to worry about competition when setting their service charge, but it totally shuts out many NFL fans (like myself) for whom getting a dish is infeasible.

I guess my questions are:

a) How much more money does the NFL make from its exclusive deal with DirecTV than it would get from non-exclusive deals with every cable and dish TV provider in the country?

and

b) Is that sum of money worth shutting out the majority of TV-watching audiences from purchasing and watching your programming?

 

[nukin]

Another problem that may arise is game attendence, how many fan's will not attend because of obligations on friday? It may be minimal, but it's still a bad thing for the home team.

 

[DESERTPAT]

Why is it gouging ? I would happily pay $20 a week for just the Patriots games. I pay less than that and get them all. It's a heck of a deal for those of us who live across the country and can't go to the games. Heck, it costs, what, $30 just to park at Gillette ? NFL Season Ticket is a bargain.

When the price goes up and the product doesn't change I call that gouging.
If you are willing to pay the price it is your right to do so. I live in Arizona, Sunday ticket sure beats sports bars but to me you have to draw the line somewhere. I guess i'm just getting old

 

[DESERTPAT]

Its gone up every year since I first bought in 99. It will not stop going up because suckers like me keep buying it.

But what is transplanted New Englander to do? Its either go to the Bar and spend much more than the cost of ST, listen over the internet, Sirius radio (which I have) or hope that the game is on the local tv and when you live in the DC market, that only happens if it is a national game.

I will get the bill next year grumble a bit and then make the 5 payments, remember when it was only 4?

When push comes to shove "l'll probably renew. Next year it will be 6 payments! The year after that it will be a friggin car payment!