Do You Want an 18-Game Season?

[aluminum seats]

I'm really tired of hearing the players whine about having to play 18 games.

They're taking away 2 preseason games, so essentially there is not much of a difference and they get an additional bye week off to boot.

Exhibition games don't have much in common with real games.

 

[IllegalContact]

I am in favor of it providing the roster size goes from 53 to 61, get rid of 2 preseason games, implement some kind of 'veteran protection rule' that would allow teams to keep guys who have been with the team for more than a certain number of years with a reduced cap hit. there would be a maximum yearly salary that this would be allowed to be done with.

other wise I am against it

 

[cupofjoe1962]

Let's look at this.....

2 Less preseason games - Good Idea

2 More regular season games - Good Idea

1 additonal bye week - Good Idea

3 additional weeks of real footbal (2 games & 1 bye) - Good Idea

Chance an impact player can get hurt - Bad Idea

Season ticket holders only have to purchase 1 preseaon game - Good Idea

The superbowl will be played the day before Presidents day which means
that the next day is a holiday and most people do not have to go to work - Good Idea

 

[DarrylS]

Last year Colts in the SB, this year decimated with injuries.

In the past after SB appearances have noticed that the following year there seems to have been a high rate of injuries for our team..

Anecdotal at best, but would like to see a statistical breakdown of injuries post superbowl appearances.. right now very skeptical of this suggestion. If they went to 18 games would the game be "watered down"??....

 

[italian pat patriot]

i like the NFL as it is today

so: i do not like 18 games-season

 

[Froob]

I'm against it because I don't want to see all these records destroyed and because more injuries. I'm interested though who these 2 extra games are against. Is it more AFC vs NFC games or what?

 

[convertedpatsfan]

More games sounds better in theory. Then again, look at baseball. Does any individual game really matter any more? You could go on a 5-game losing streak and still have 150 games to come back.

I like 16. I'd even be in favour of an extra bye week with 16 games if it meant players got more rest and fewer injuries. And no matter what, changes to roster rules need to be made. I still don't get why we pay 53 guys but only 45 can be active on game day.

 

[shmessy]

Let's look at this.....

2 Less preseason games - Good Idea

2 More regular season games - Good Idea

1 additonal bye week - Good Idea

3 additional weeks of real footbal (2 games & 1 bye) - Good Idea

Chance an impact player can get hurt - Bad Idea

Season ticket holders only have to purchase 1 preseaon game - Good Idea

The superbowl will be played the day before Presidents day which means
that the next day is a holiday and most people do not have to go to work - Good Idea

"Chance an impact player can get hurt - Bad Idea "

THAT'S the problem that trumps the advantages, Joe.

We've seen what happens to fan interest and willingness to go to the game when an impact player is out. The NFL needs to keep the fans and ratings.

 

[vyrago]

More games= more injuries. It will be a battle of attrition.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

No. I want a 40-game season, divided as follows:

NFL - 16 game season and 4 weeks of post-season culminating in Super Bowl

NFLSummer - played in Canada. 1 of 2 developmental leagues. 12 game regular season, 4 game post-season. Each developmental league fully mirrors the NFL, with the exception of the shorter regular season (playoff and championship structure identical.) Unis are the same, except for a sun or other "summer emblem" - maybe just the letter "S" - on each jersey and each helmet. Franchises go to the largest city nearby the "primary" city for each team. The Pats could have a team in Hartford, for example (I'd say Providence, but they'd end up fouling up Gillette before the real season starts.) Washington could have a team in Richmond or one of the 'burbs. The best NFLSummer starters matriculate to training camp for your regular NFL team. Championship is the weekend before Week 1, NFL. (And yes, it is a regular feature of NFLSummer that every team in the playoffs plays shorthanded, as the exodus begins. Cope.)

NFLSpring - NFLSpring is to NFLSummer as NFLSummer is to the NFL.

The draft is always what it's been - except that you can go out for the NFLSummer draft or even the NFLSpring draft, set at intervals after the REAL draft. No need for 16 gruelling rounds, like it use to be in the NFL. We stick with the current NFL draft format, and if you go undrafted, you might make a roster, or you might just... drumroll... go out for the next draft!

I'm sick and tired of football having to end. I don't want to try to adopt a team in goddam Scotland or somewhere. I don't want 12 men and 3 downs. I don't want a 50 yard field and eight guys on a team.

I want real life NFLesque football all goddam year round and I want my Pats all year round, even if they're summer Pats or spring Pats.

Oh yeah but keep the NFL season 16 weeks.

Kthxbai

 

[Peachhead]

If it ain't broke, don't "fix" it.

 

[Haley]

The answer to this exact question is, of course, "MOAR FUTBALL NOWZ!""

Whether or not the NFL should adopt this is another question.

 

[brady77]

No. Players are getting roughed up enough as is. For all that Goodell is doing to emphasize player safety, this whole idea, IMO, contradicts all of that. Also, I really like how the schedule has worked since the realignment, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[PatsBoy12]

absolutely NOT!

 

[JoeSixPat]

I'm glad to see the vast majority are opposed to an 18 game season...

Although I know we're taking 2 pre-season games and making them count, I view the additional games as watering down the season as well as the sport.

In some ways, I view expanding the season like expanding the league... I think to the the NBA adding more teams than there was talent to fill them, and watering down their product too much for my taste... and I worry that the NFL will lose the intensity and focus it holds for me now.

I think rosters do need to be expanded as injuries make it challenging to put the highest caliber product on the field week in and week out as it is... adding an extra two games to that mix is going to water down the product even more.

 

[deroc5050]

I think 16 is the sweet spot personally... the more games you add the less meaning each game has.. Every sunday in the NFL is huge, it kind of feels like there all play off games. I vote no not because of player safety because I think that fact is inconsequential.. the starters will only have to play 4 less quarters, cause I am pretty sure there just taking out 2 pre-season games and adding 2 meaningful ones. I just feel 16 is the way to go.. and where the hell do you draw the line?

 

[mosi]

Me, I just football season to extend until the end of February. Hate that time of the year, when football ends and baseball has not started.

 

[andrewgarrr]

Every time I heard Goodell talk about expanding the season, he says the fans are totally into it. After reading this thread, I'm a little bit confused. I know that this forum isn't necessarily a fair sample of NFL fans, but I think the sentiments expressed here are extremely valid and should be commonplace. Maybe he's talking out of his ass or to fulfill his own wishes?

 

[Two Eight]

I like the 16 game season but one thing that's been talked about with an 18 game season that I really like is if they added a type of intermediate IR, like a 10 week IR or whatever. So a situation like with Bodden who might be ready to play now if it weren't for being IR'd, he wouldn't have to miss the entire season and playoffs...

 

[aluminum seats]

Every time I heard Goodell talk about expanding the season, he says the fans are totally into it. After reading this thread, I'm a little bit confused. I know that this forum isn't necessarily a fair sample of NFL fans, but I think the sentiments expressed here are extremely valid and should be commonplace. Maybe he's talking out of his ass or to fulfill his own wishes?

He's full of it. Think about it: is there ANY demographic more likely to want more football than Patriots' fans who read/post on a message board?

Has anyone seen a poll on ESPN or something on this? I haven't.