16 or 18 Games?

[metallicatz]

I vote 16. There is absolutely no need for 2 extra games as it pertains to the game itself. Don't let Goodell fool you about how "the game has evolved to justify an 18 game season". There is only one reason this is happening.....the accumulation of more money. That's it. It's not for the fans and it's not for the game.

Goodell is trying to make his smoke & mirrors case that "the fans have spoken, they don't like the pre-season". Seems most fans I come across pretty muh everywhere are fine with pre-season. What they're NOT fine with is being charged full price for pre-season games. Goodell knows this and is trying to twist it.

If it wasn't for the pre-season guys like Terrell Davis never would've gotten their shot to make the team. Desmond Howard would've likely been cut in 1996 without his pre-season showing on special teams. All those great stories of bubble players from the later rounds becoming successful will become a thing of the past. They won't have the same opportunity to showcase their talent that they do now. Scouts aren't perfect. Things get missed as it is. Even more hidden gems will get missed with a shortened pre-season.

Roger Goodell is the worst commissioner ever IMO. The guy is a phony and a fraud. Talking about moving teams and Super Bowls to Europe, changing the on-field product (rule changes) to assist the offense for the purpose of driving ratings, using the guise of "player safety" to rob the game of its ferocity by changing rules in order to protect ownership investments in players, and now this. He's such an obvious owner's Commissioner. And for all his bluster about player conduct, i bet the statistics would indicate player misconduct has spiked upward under his watch. Guys are getting arrested all over the place now.

[da ThRONe]

Quote: Originally Posted by metallicatz

I vote 16. There is absolutely no need for 2 extra games as it pertains to the game itself. Don't let Goodell fool you about how "the game has evolved to justify an 18 game season". There is only one reason this is happening.....the accumulation of more money. That's it. It's not for the fans and it's not for the game. Goodell is trying to make his smoke & mirrors case that "the fans have spoken, they don't like the pre-season". Seems most fans I come across pretty muh everywhere are fine with pre-season. What they're NOT fine with is being charged full price for pre-season games. Goodell knows this and is trying to twist it. If it wasn't for the pre-season guys like Terrell Davis never would've gotten their shot to make the team. Desmond Howard would've likely been cut in 1996 without his pre-season showing on special teams. All those great stories of bubble players from the later rounds becoming successful will become a thing of the past. They won't have the same opportunity to showcase their talent that they do now. Scouts aren't perfect. Things get missed as it is. Even more hidden gems will get missed with a shortened pre-season. Roger Goodell is the worst commissioner ever IMO. The guy is a phony and a fraud. Talking about moving teams and Super Bowls to Europe, changing the on-field product (rule changes) to assist the offense for the purpose of driving ratings, using the guise of "player safety" to rob the game of its ferocity by changing rules in order to protect ownership investments in players, and now this. He's such an obvious owner's Commissioner. And for all his bluster about player conduct, i bet the statistics would indicate player misconduct has spiked upward under his watch. Guys are getting arrested all over the place now.

Agreed. I'm all for changing for the sake of improving the game ,but he's poking and prodding things that are just fine the way they are. Moving the pro bowl from Hawaii and putting it before the SuperBowl is dumb.

Maybe the thing that urks me the most is this stances that it's for "the fans".

Pre-season weither you like it or not is necessary as is.

[ActLikeYouCrow]

i think the nfl is saying as long as we do whatever we can to protect the qb's, everyone else is expendable for our business model.

everyone loves more football, but not at the risk of shorter careers.

[DaveDQ]

To me the idea of 18 games is rooted in greed. The NFL has become something so special. Making essential rules changes and adding certain improvements to help the game are a welcomed addition, but extending the season to 18 games tampers with the foundation of the NFL (my opinion).

It's just not necessary.

[Speedy]

Quote: Originally Posted by DaveDQ

To me the idea of 18 games is rooted in greed. The NFL has become something so special. Making essential rules changes and adding certain improvements to help the game are a welcomed addition, but extending the season to 18 games tampers with the foundation of the NFL (my opinion). It's just not necessary.

Perfect conclusion, exactly why I believe as well. There is no benefit in the long run of the sport (both for players and fans as players will get injured more and more teams will probably "coast" the last few games than normal) except more $$$ for the owners.

[steelcurtain311]

Just because everyone hates 4 preseason games doesn't mean you have to add more regular season games. It just means you need to scale preseason back.

Teams already rest their players in the last few games of the season. What does adding two more help in that aspect? Just two more chances for your star players to get hurt before the playoffs, at least that's how they'll see it.

But on the other hand, the players bitching about "they don't pay us to play 18 games." can shut their mouths. They're already absurdly overpaid, they don't deserve more money because two games were added.

[SouthernBrick]

At first I the thought of 2 extra games was great but, after thinking about it I wouldn't care if it just stayed at 16 games. That said, I think it's a very strong chance 2 games will be added to the regular season. They need to do something to make it count though so we don't have month long of Curtis Painter under center. I thought I remembered them saying something about making the last games division games and making starters play more toward the end of the season or something like that.

I don't remember the exact specifics of it or even if that was said.

[bgeno]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

What could they possibly offer the NFLPA to make this more attractive?

Cha-ching.

Quote: Originally Posted by Cubfan

16 game season and 2 preseason games.

That won't happen. The teams make too much money by forcing season ticket holders to buy tickets for two preseason games. If they take away two preseason games, they're adding two regular season games.




Personally, I like the way the NFL schedule is now. Like many said, 16 games seems almost perfect in terms of having a good product every week (as opposed to having games that don't matter like NBA, NHL, and MLB) and the scheduling works out to a T.



Just for the sake of discussion, if you were in charge, how would scheduling look in an 18-game season? Would you keep the current schedule (6 vs. your division, 4 vs. a division in your conference, 4 vs. a division in opposite conference, and 2 based on previous seeding) and find a new way to add two games? How would you decide the two extra teams that each team plays? Or would you completely re-do it? Maybe have 9 divisional games, 4 vs. in-conference division, 4 vs. opposite-conference division, and one versus a team in your conference based on previous seeding? Or would we go back to the way it was with 6 divisions and 16 games, when teams would go like decades without playing each other?

I'd just like to see if anyone can come up with a decent scheduling format for 18-game season.