Official CBA Thread

[mestevo]

It wouldn't be?

We already have guys killing themselves because of the head trauma they've suffered after years upon years of football collisions. You're telling me an extra 2 games, which amounts to an extra 10 games over 5 years that a player wouldn't have previously had to play, isn't a big deal?

As they continue to take steps to make the game safer, no.

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[N51_rob]

Re: Official CBA Thread

As they continue to take steps to make the game safer, no.

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They contradict themselves though. 18 game schedule takes average careers from 3.5 years to 3.1 years. If they want to make the game safer why would you add more regular season games?

But yes they are taking baby steps towards making the game safer, under the guise of increased player safety. Not increased revenue which is what this is really all about.

[spit_bubble]

Re: Official CBA Thread

If they go to 18 games...

I really hope the players don't give any ground on that one.

[mestevo]

Re: Official CBA Thread

If they go to 18 games...

I really hope the players don't give any ground on that one.

They have though. Hines Ward has gone from absolutely not to 'with better insurance the players would probably go for it'.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/10/union-sending-mixed-signals-on-18-game-season/

Given the option I'll take more football, the teams and league just need to make appropriate adjustments to roster sizes and whatnot to support it.

[Bellsprout]

Re: Official CBA Thread

If it's 18 games or no football this year, I'll take 18 games. Though I much prefer 16.

[wwharton]

Re: Official CBA Thread

As they continue to take steps to make the game safer, no.

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The steps they're taking to make the game safer aren't even close to enough for a 16 game season. They've made rule changes on the fly just last year, which should say "the game is so far from being safe enough RIGHT NOW we can't wait until next year to put in these changes... players need to adjust on the fly". If we saw a significant reduction in injuries and concussions specifically in a 16 game season, then we can talk about an 18 game season. But the number of "safety related" changes the last couple of years including in season changes makes a move to 18 games make no sense in terms of player safety.

They have though. Hines Ward has gone from absolutely not to 'with better insurance the players would probably go for it'.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/03/10/union-sending-mixed-signals-on-18-game-season/

Given the option I'll take more football, the teams and league just need to make appropriate adjustments to roster sizes and whatnot to support it.

How would adjusting roster sizes prevent star players from getting injured? We know star QBs (if not ALL QBs) would be taking every offensive snap of every game that they are healthy. We can trickle down from there. There are a good number of RBs that are about the same level which is why we're seeing more 2 (and 3) back systems but should we expect that to be the case with offensive or defensive linemen? If your team doesn't have enough quality lineman right now (plenty of teams don't) how would adding a few more that are worse than what you have help? Teams would continue playing their best players until they got hurt. Increasing roster sizes will just make sure you have warm bodies to put on the field when your best players get hurt. I don't want to see warm bodies or my favorite players get hurt.

[Beantown]

Re: Official CBA Thread

According to Peter King's twitter, both sides are "antsy" to meet face to face soon.

[spit_bubble]

Re: Official CBA Thread

...Given the option I'll take more football, the teams and league just need to make appropriate adjustments to roster sizes and whatnot to support it.

I'm really not that interested in watching guys who don't have the talent to make an NFL roster. The league is spread thin enough as it is. Besides, those extra players will be filling in for the injured ones on short notice, without getting the proper reps. So you'll basically get unprepared players out there who shouldn't really be in the league in the first place. No thanks.

[Hooe]

Re: Official CBA Thread

DeMaurice Smith just recently tweeted that there will be an update by him to the players by 2 PM tomorrow.

No one is quite sure what that means, though PFT speculates it will be for movement towards litigation.

[mestevo]

Re: Official CBA Thread

I'm really not that interested in watching guys who don't have the talent to make an NFL roster. The league is spread thin enough as it is. Besides, those extra players will be filling in for the injured ones on short notice, without getting the proper reps. So you'll basically get unprepared players out there who shouldn't really be in the league in the first place. No thanks.

Packers looked pretty good during their 20th game of the season with a ton of people on IR in a campaign where they couldn't get out of the way of any injury that came their direction.

The injury impact is grossly overstated over and over in this thread, as if every single team in the league will have their 10th string OL snapping the ball for the 5th string QB. Implying the league will implode into a pile of blood and gauze if 2 games are added while teams battle for the right to play 3-4 more every year. Adjustments can be made to make the offseason less tedious, there'd almost certainly be 2 fewer preseason games should we have 18 regular, and roster sizes, injury rules adjustments would all need to be made to make it work, but it's not the.

I've yet to see a team exit the playoffs because they're just gassed or too injury riddled, more often than not they're simply exposed (Chiefs v Ravens) for who they are, or outcoached (Jets v Pats).

Our stars/favorite players can/would go down during a 3 game season, injuries happen, teams not prepared for them deserve to fail.

[spit_bubble]

Re: Official CBA Thread

...I've yet to see a team exit the playoffs because they're just gassed or too injury riddled, more often than not they're simply exposed (Chiefs v Ravens) for who they are, or outcoached (Jets v Pats)...

Apparently you missed the Seahawks versus the Bears.

And it's not just a matter of the best teams, we're talking the whole league here. Bottom line is the quality of football in the NFL will go down if they go to 18 games. More guys will get injured, and lesser players will take their place with less preparation. If that starts to happen they put themselves at risk of what you see happening in the NBA right now, where you've got a handful of teams that just can't cut it, are losing fans, and are at risk of relocation or even worse contraction.

I don't see how the owners in their right minds can look at the recent data on head injuries, along with all the players on IR last year, and then say let's push our workers even harder. If anything they should drop a preseason game, start the regular season a week early, and then add a bye week.

Take care of your product, don't squeeze it 'till it dies.

[RJTurneR]

Re: Official CBA Thread

DeMaurice Smith just recently tweeted that there will be an update by him to the players by 2 PM tomorrow.

He also said for them to stay strong (Mentally), meaning this thing is about to get ugly.

In a way, i'll be happy when we stop having to wait for this thing to expire, which is very soon. All the optimism, all the speculation.. We all know there will be a lockout, unless the union decertifies in which case owners and players are about to fall out big time. The extensions were just delaying the inevitable..

There will be football.

[mestevo]

Re: Official CBA Thread

Apparently you missed the Seahawks versus the Bears.

And it's not just a matter of the best teams, we're talking the whole league here. Bottom line is the quality of football in the NFL will go down if they go to 18 games. More guys will get injured, and lesser players will take their place with less preparation. If that starts to happen they put themselves at risk of what you see happening in the NBA right now, where you've got a handful of teams that just can't cut it, are losing fans, and are at risk of relocation or even worse contraction.

I don't see how the owners in their right minds can look at the recent data on head injuries, along with all the players on IR last year, and then say let's push our workers even harder. If anything they should drop a preseason game, start the regular season a week early, and then add a bye week.

Take care of your product, don't squeeze it 'till it dies.

This just doesn't hold water, too many if's and buts. The playoffs have been awesome the past few years, the entire league is competing to play extra games, for half as many the end result would be the equivalent of going 2-deep into the playoffs. There have only been a couple of bad Super Bowls in the past 20 years, played by the teams who have played more games than any other that season. Pointing to the two of the worst teams in this past years' playoffs doesn't make your argument any stronger.

He also said for them to stay strong (Mentally), meaning this thing is about to get ugly.

In a way, i'll be happy when we stop having to wait for this thing to expire, which is very soon. All the optimism, all the speculation.. We all know there will be a lockout, unless the union decertifies in which case owners and players are about to fall out big time. The extensions were just delaying the inevitable..

There will be football.

I'm expecting an extension or an intent to decertify tomorrow, could hear that start to ramp up via leaks this evening imo if it's going to happen. Current extension expires at 5pm EST tomorrow.

[wwharton]

Re: Official CBA Thread

Packers looked pretty good during their 20th game of the season with a ton of people on IR in a campaign where they couldn't get out of the way of any injury that came their direction.

The injury impact is grossly overstated over and over in this thread, as if every single team in the league will have their 10th string OL snapping the ball for the 5th string QB. Implying the league will implode into a pile of blood and gauze if 2 games are added while teams battle for the right to play 3-4 more every year. Adjustments can be made to make the offseason less tedious, there'd almost certainly be 2 fewer preseason games should we have 18 regular, and roster sizes, injury rules adjustments would all need to be made to make it work, but it's not the.

I've yet to see a team exit the playoffs because they're just gassed or too injury riddled, more often than not they're simply exposed (Chiefs v Ravens) for who they are, or outcoached (Jets v Pats).

Our stars/favorite players can/would go down during a 3 game season, injuries happen, teams not prepared for them deserve to fail.

The Packers were lucky to make the playoffs despite being one of the best teams in the league. Why was it so close? Injuries. Rodgers was a hit away from being out with the concussions he already experienced... and we're talking about the SB champ, which traditionally does end up being the team that's either the deepest or lucky enough to avoid serious injuries at key times.

How many years do we see teams go 5-11 that we expected to win the division? Most say "I don't know what happened" when it's clear that they were hit by injuries. They bounce back the next year and people are surprised again. The Cowboys of this year are an example of the first... the Ravens of two years ago is an example of the second. With almost every team in the NFL being so close in talent, injuries are OFTEN the main reason a playoff contender ends up in last place. We can look at many examples every single year.

[Chrisksaint]

Re: Official CBA Thread

Yup injuries can ruin teams, I for sure thought the Saints would be a better team then they were when they won the SB but injuries made our offense worse.