Thoughts on Flex Schedule?

[Mosi Moose]

It's my understanding that starting around Week 8, the NFL will change the kickoff time for certain future games based on the teams current records. So does that mean that if the Pats play the Fins in Week 15, and by Week 12 they are 8-3 and 7-4, respectively, what was scheduled as a Sunday 1pm game could be moved to the Sunday night game on Week 15 because that could have AFC East division title implications?

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

It may suck for those going to games - but as I'm almost never one of them, I am all for this. I'm sick of absolute crap games on prime time.

 

[spacecrime]

I like the idea for a flex schedule to get better games at hte end of the year, but htey could accomplish the same thing by:

Playing all inter-conference games in weeks 1-4. Just get them out of the way because no one will care in December.

Play intra-conference, non-division games next.

The last six weeks of the season play the intra-divison games. These will be games that settle division winners and will be most important.

 

[DarrylS]

Personally, I hate night games too much yadda, yadda and the game seems to go on forever. When I wake up on game day it is much more tolerable to think of a 1 or 4 PM game, as opposed to having to wait until after 9 PM. Other than that it makes no real difference.

 

[CrazyDave]

Good for fans, pain in the azz for teams. I like the idea of having relevant games on primetime, but i hate it when WE play at night.
Give me sun at 1:00 every week. Primetime pats games just sucks for me.

 

[Flying Fungi]

Personally, I hate night games too much yadda, yadda and the game seems to go on forever. When I wake up on game day it is much more tolerable to think of a 1 or 4 PM game, as opposed to having to wait until after 9 PM. Other than that it makes no real difference.

no kidding--I enjoy my early drunk on Sundays...

...by 8:30p I'm thinking Simpsons or Family Guy...

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Personally, I hate night games too much yadda, yadda and the game seems to go on forever. When I wake up on game day it is much more tolerable to think of a 1 or 4 PM game, as opposed to having to wait until after 9 PM. Other than that it makes no real difference.

Move to California, where all games are in a good time. OTOH, we have too many people here already, so, unless you look like one of the cheerleaders from that thread, forget it.

 

[fgssand]

What about fans travelling to away games?? Their are lots of Pats fans that make the pilgrimage Buffalo, NY , Miami and (for me) any warm weather early winter game I can find (while I attend and love all Pats winter home games, I will only travel to warm weather cities for away games).

My point is - how will plane and hotel reservations be made (these need be made far in advance) if we don't find out about these changes until much later in the season. There is significant NFL away game business out there, with all the travel agencies and even the Pats website offering away packages.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

What about fans travelling to away games?? Their are lots of Pats fans that make the pilgrimage Buffalo, NY , Miami and (for me) any warm weather early winter game I can find (while I attend and love all Pats winter home games, I will only travel to warm weather cities for away games).

My point is - how will plane and hotel reservations be made (these need be made far in advance) if we don't find out about these changes until much later in the season. There is significant NFL away game business out there, with all the travel agencies and even the Pats website offering away packages.

It's just moving games to Sunday night not Monday night. So they will have to make the plans assuming the possibility of staying until Monday morning. If they can't, I guess they stay home. The upside is worth the downside IMO.

 

[fgssand]

It's just moving games to Sunday night not Monday night. So they will have to make the plans assuming the possibility of staying until Monday morning. If they can't, I guess they stay home. The upside is worth the downside IMO.

I agree - I guess i will just have to plan for games moving to Sunday night and grab an extra day at the pool and a day or two off of work!! Yes, that's the ticket :rocker:

 

[Seymour93]

What about fans travelling to away games?? Their are lots of Pats fans that make the pilgrimage Buffalo, NY , Miami and (for me) any warm weather early winter game I can find (while I attend and love all Pats winter home games, I will only travel to warm weather cities for away games).

My point is - how will plane and hotel reservations be made (these need be made far in advance) if we don't find out about these changes until much later in the season. There is significant NFL away game business out there, with all the travel agencies and even the Pats website offering away packages.

That was the problem for ABC and MNF. It's too much of an inconvenience for the fans (particularly the away), to move a game back a day. With the league achieving parity, the inability to change primetime games really hurt MNF as it seemed each year the end of season matchups kept getting worse and worse. The NFL wanted to move its, previously MNF's 30-year title, "Game of the Week" to SNF precisely because of this reason. ABC had a strong Sunday night lineup in place and NBC was struggling so therefore we have a complete change in our primetime viewing habits.

 

[Tunescribe]

I like the idea for a flex schedule to get better games at hte end of the year, but htey could accomplish the same thing by:

Playing all inter-conference games in weeks 1-4. Just get them out of the way because no one will care in December.

Play intra-conference, non-division games next.

The last six weeks of the season play the intra-divison games. These will be games that settle division winners and will be most important.

Very interesting idea! But Miami would probably complain that they won't be able to enjoy their hot-weather advantage against division foes, plus it would guarantee five cold-weather games for a team like New England at the end of the season (not that we'd really mind that much).

 

[Welker83]

I really like it for 2 reasons:

1.Last year on MNF there were only 2 games between play-off teams
Indy vs NE
and
Indy vs Steelers

2. There were 7 games played where both teams ended up not even making the playoffs....

Now i know this is MNF and the Flex scheduling applies to the new Sunday night package. BUT as Sunday will now be the Marque game like MNF used to be you want the best match-ups here and no garbage games.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

I got no problem with it as long as they tell the teams in question the week before so they can prepare properly.

 

[milwaukeebeers44]

I think it's a wonderful marketing gimmick, but it's going to be a pain in the ass for fans and teams!

 

[QuiGon]

It's my understanding that starting around Week 8, the NFL will change the kickoff time for certain future games based on the teams current records. So does that mean that if the Pats play the Fins in Week 15, and by Week 12 they are 8-3 and 7-4, respectively, what was scheduled as a Sunday 1pm game could be moved to the Sunday night game on Week 15 because that could have AFC East division title implications?

Yes, that is exactly what that means. The NFL knows which side their bread is buttered; They are more interested in catering to the TV stations than the ticket-buying fans.

 

[QuiGon]

I think it's a wonderful marketing gimmick, but it's going to be a pain in the ass for fans and teams!

I disagree. It isn't a "marketing gimmick" - it is a serious attempt to give us better matchups in primetime. I wanted to vomit last season when we were force fed an atrocious GB Packer team in November and December on MNF. It is going to be a HUGE pain in the ass for ticketholders, but ticketholders are only a very very small percentage of the overall nationwide audience. The TV watching fan is getting a good deal.