NFL Intent on Lengthening Season

[moosekill]

Sorry.... I'm not a sheep who just runs with the herd. In most seasons, good teams clinch playoff berths with a couple of weeks left in the season even with a 16 game season. Bad teams are done little more than halfway through the year. Now, the good teams will be able to blow a game or two and still clinch by week 15 or 16, so there'll be less need to follow each week. There will also be a lot less reason to pay attention to non-"favorite team" games. I don't need to really focus on watching that Cardinals-Saints game in week 2 "just in case" anymore.

I quit watching baseball when they took the World Series away from us. I reckon I can resist wasting more weekends watching football if it comes to it.

I don't consider watching football "wasting my weekends" that is what my wife thinks.

 

[Deus Irae]

I don't consider watching football "wasting my weekends" that is what my wife thinks.

Almost any time spent in front of the television is a waste of your time. It doesn't mean that the value return doesn't make it worth it because we do need to waste time on occasion. However, the reason football worked at 16 games is because most teams weren't out of the hunt until the very end. That will now be changing, and the very best and very worst teams will be known early enough that their fans won't have that 'need' to watch every game.

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

I have no problem having a longer season!! Football is really the only sport i can sit and watch!! Baseball is boring watching unless your at the stadium watching.

 

[moosekill]

Almost any time spent in front of the television is a waste of your time. It doesn't mean that the value return doesn't make it worth it because we do need to waste time on occasion. However, the reason football worked at 16 games is because most teams weren't out of the hunt until the very end. That will now be changing, and the very best and very worst teams will be known early enough that their fans won't have that 'need' to watch every game.

First of all, I don't necessarily agree with your more teams will be out of it premise, it seems to me there could well be more teams in it at the end of the season.

Second, as you sit here typing on a football forum, I'm not sure that you are the best judge of wasting time, and the value returned.

 

[Deus Irae]

First of all, I don't necessarily agree with your more teams will be out of it premise, it seems to me there could well be more teams in it at the end of the season.

Second, as you sit here typing on a football forum, I'm not sure that you are the best judge of wasting time, and the value returned.

I'm capable of posting on a message board and getting work accomplished at the same time. In fact, given the number of computers at my disposal, it's extremely easy to do. As for more teams in it, you're missing the point. The Lions were out of it even before week 8 rolled around last season. More teams will be in that position, not fewer. Just as every year you can pretty much guess which teams will be out of the baseball and basketball playoffs by midseason, we'll now be able to do that with more football teams. The advantage of shorter seasons is that it's easier for bad teams to compete against good teams that don't play their best, because 1 or 2 letdowns can keep them in the hunt. As seasons get longer, that becomes less of a benefit. We see that repeatedly in playoffs (Patriots lost a 1 game Super Bowl, but I doubt anyone thinks the Giants win a 4-of-7 series), it also applies to regular seasons.

 

[Sicilian]

Almost any time spent in front of the television is a waste of your time. It doesn't mean that the value return doesn't make it worth it because we do need to waste time on occasion. However, the reason football worked at 16 games is because most teams weren't out of the hunt until the very end. That will now be changing, and the very best and very worst teams will be known early enough that their fans won't have that 'need' to watch every game.

I don't really want to get in the middle of this, but if something "returns value" it, by definition, is not a waste of time. Perhaps not the most efficient in the furthering of humankind, but value = not waste.

 

[Deus Irae]

I don't really want to get in the middle of this, but if something "returns value" it, by definition, is not a waste of time. Perhaps not the most efficient in the furthering of humankind, but value = not waste.

Yes, my mistake. I thought everyone understood what people actually mean when they say "waste of time" in terms of things like watching television. I should have realized that people who do would pretend that they didn't. (And, no, I'm not referring to you)

Let's try this....

If people aren't sitting on their asses bloating up with beer and assorted other food and drink while doing a passive activity like watching other people performing physical activity, it's quite possible that accomplishments that actually yield tangible returns can be made. While not denigrating those who choose to blow their off time on more football, and conceding that I love sitting on my ass bloating up with assorted food and drink while watching football games during the colder months, I have no intention of adding an additional 2 weeks of it onto my yearly planner, particularly since it will be happening during the warmer months where there's a lot of other options available to me. Devoting 50% of my attention on 2-3 drives for an individual exhibition game is different than devoting 90-95% of my attention for an entire Sunday, Monday, Thursday/Saturday combination.

 

[mgteich]

Goodell "intends" to have a longer season? What does that mean? What is really means is that the owners are intending to propose this in the upcoming labor negotiations.

As far as the merits of the position, 18 games will bring in more TV and game revenue. And how many season ticket hold like the prices they pay for preseason games?

 

[Deus Irae]

Goodell "intends" to have a longer season? What does that mean? What is really means is that the owners are intending to propose this in the upcoming labor negotiations.

As far as the merits of the position, 18 games will bring in more TV and game revenue. And how many season ticket hold like the prices they pay for preseason games?

Of course, in an attempt to "give the players some much needed rest" if they add those games, they'll want to add another Bye week and extend the season from 17 to 20 weeks of television viewing.

 

[mgteich]

I like the idea of 2 bye weeks and a 2 week preseason.

 

[Leave No Doubt]

Awesome move, Roger. I'm sure the players are going to love this- will really make it that much easier to get a new CBA amicably worked out when the players realize that:

a) they're not getting paid more
b) they're being told to play more, significantly increasing chance of serious injury
c) their contracts still aren't guaranteed against such injuries
d) the owners are making that much more money

And he sweetens the deal by appealing to the coaches and offering to amend the IR. I love watching football too but part of it's appeal is that the season's short and therefore every game is meaningful and intense. There really isn't a lot of room for gimmes and jmo but I like it that way

 

[Deus Irae]

I like the idea of 2 bye weeks and a 2 week preseason.

That's how they'll get you. And, because the 3 "new" weeks will be in the summer before people are getting footballed out, it'll actually work for a couple of years before it leads to the all-but-inevitable drop in interest.

 

[spacecrime]

I think the shear number of injured players by the end of an 18 game regular season will be too great. Offensive Linemen wear down

So last year all teams played 16 games. Several played 18 games because of playoffs. I don't remember offensive linemen going down in droves in those last two games, so I think this is total BS, especially when you consider the total number of presason games will drop to 2, and no regulars will likely play in the second (last) preseason game because fringe players must be evaluated.

This is the same junk spouted when the games went for 14 to 16. Just BS.

 

[Deus Irae]

So last year all teams played 16 games. Several played 18 games because of playoffs. I don't remember offensive linemen going down in droves in those last two games, so I think this is total BS, especially when you consider the total number of presason games will drop to 2, and no regulars will likely play in the second (last) preseason game because fringe players must be evaluated.

This is the same junk spouted when the games went for 14 to 16. Just BS.

Really? Tell that to the Patriots players and coaches who've commented about all the extra games from the playoffs.

 

[mgteich]

There will likely be more interest in each of the first four weeks(2 preseason 2 season) that now (4 preseason)

That's how they'll get you. And, because the 3 "new" weeks will be in the summer before people are getting footballed out, it'll actually work for a couple of years before it leads to the all-but-inevitable drop in interest.

 

[Ian]

The Patriots just announced via their Twitter channel that tomorrow will be the day that the owners will discuss expanding the schedule. So it appears we'll likely hear more about this then.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

The Patriots just announced via their Twitter channel that tomorrow will be the day that the owners will discuss expanding the schedule. So it appears we'll likely hear more about this then.

I will be expecting an owner's vote of 18 regular season games with 1 bye week and 3 exhibition games

 

[Deus Irae]

There will likely be more interest in each of the first four weeks(2 preseason 2 season) that now (4 preseason)

For the first year or two, until wives put an end to the 'nonsense'. Whether it's the summer games or the fall games, the ratings will eventually take a hit on this.

 

[mgteich]

If the owners wish to propose an increase in games from the current 20 to 21, then I would expect that the owners would need to show how the same number of players would get 5% increase in compensation, oever and above the normal increase due to inflation. Otherwise, I don't why there would be any interes on the part of the union. Without the current rosters receiving more money, nothing would be in it for the players.

I will be expecting an owner's vote of 18 regular season games with 1 bye week and 3 exhibition games

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

If the owners wish to propose an increase in games from the current 20 to 21, then I would expect that the owners would need to show how the same number of players would get 5% increase in compensation, oever and above the normal increase due to inflation. Otherwise, I don't why there would be any interes on the part of the union. Without the current rosters receiving more money, nothing would be in it for the players.

True,Thats why the league could be in trouble in the near future with an unhappy players union.