Pros and Cons of a Longer Season
The NFL's franchise owners might vote in May to lengthen the regular season to from 16 to 17 or 18 games per team.
The issue then would be taken up with the players' union in the upcoming labor negotiations.
Here's a quick look at some pros and cons of such a move...
Pros:
1. There's more meaningful football.
The total number of games, including preseason and regular season games, would be kept at 20 per team. So more regular season games means correspondingly fewer preseason games. Who wouldn't rather watch two regular season games than two preseason games?
2. There's more meaningful football.
See above.
3. There's more meaningful football.
See above. Isn't that all that really matters here? For the owners, it could mean more revenues from television contracts. For the players, it will mean more money when they cut a deal with the owners for additional compensation for the extra games. But who, other than them, really cares about that?
Cons:
1. The possibility of more injuries.
The NFL's regular season already is a battle of attrition: The team that's healthier at the end of the season usually wins. This could get worse. The more meaningful games there are, the more that key players are exposed to possible injuries.
2. The record book.
Football records certainly aren't as hallowed as baseball records. But a longer season probably will mean that every meaningful record in the book soon will go by the wayside.
3. The possibility of more meaningless late-season games.
That's already a problem now, and it could get worse with a longer season. The solution might be to expand the postseason, with more playoff spots perhaps making more games late in the regular season mean something. But at some point, even the NFL risks overexposing its product, doesn't it?
By
Mark Maske
|
March 24, 2009; 10:01 AM ET
| Category:
League
Save & Share:
Previous: Patten to Cleveland |
Next: Vote Now on Length of NFL Season
Posted by: marima | March 25, 2009 4:40 PM
As a season ticket holder for the 'Skins, the prospect of attending two extra games per year in lieu of meaningless preseason contests would be great. Right now, paying full price to see scrubs who will be on the street in a matter of weeks is insulting.
I also like the idea from the previous poster about set regional rivalry games. But they will not take place at neutral sites/stadiums. The whole idea behind this is for the owners to make more money. They'll want the games in their own stadiums.
I say do it.
Posted by: atomicshakespeare | March 24, 2009 12:53 PM
I like the idea of a 17 game season so there is only a chance of a winning or losing season. Lessen the pre-season games that are basically meaningless. A kid plays well preseason and still doesn't make the team!?!? Who can figure this stuff out anyway.
Posted by: job22 | March 24, 2009 12:10 PM
I am all for it and all for a 17 game season (with 1 neutral sight game per team 16 offsite games a year).
There are several reasons for this:
I hate the idea of .500 records, a 17 game season would make it so most teams would either finish with a winning or losing record, fans will get into that at the end of the year because you would always want a winning record.
A neutral site game would be a great way for games to be played overseas, in Canada, LA and other locations with out fans feeling shorted if their teams home game is moved.
Non-Conference Regional Rivalries would be promoted finally and could mean something, not to mention they could be played in fun locations. Who would not be interested in going to State College PA and sit in the 110,000 seat Beaver stadium to watch the Steelers vs the Eagles? What about a annual game between SF/OAK and SD/AZ played in LA? NYJ vs NYG in the new Yankee Stadium? Washington vs Baltimore, no clue where you play it. Tampa vs Miami at Orlando in the Disney Bowl.
The 16 games could give LA fans games without expansion (give them like 6 of the games).
These could all be used to make TNF more exciting by playing them in cool locations through the year, I understand ratings are down on those games with them on NFLN.
I would play games in the following places each season:
Beaver Stadium(1 game Pit vs Philly) capacity 107,282
Estadio Azteca, Mex City (1 game) capacity 105,000
Ohio Stadium (1 game) capacity 102,329
Texas Memorial Stadium (1 game Hou vs Dal) capacity 94,113
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (6 games) capacity 93,607
Wembley Stadium (1 game) capacity 90,000
Rotate the remaining 5 between any stadium with a min capacity of lets say 85,000 with 1 outside the US.
Posted by: alex35332 | March 24, 2009 11:53 AM
Memo to NFL: Please leave well enough alone.
Thank you.
Posted by: WaPoGuy | March 24, 2009 11:48 AM
B/c of the cons you list, they should stick to 16 games and reduce preseason to 2-3 games. Won't happen. Next best approach is to leave as is.
Posted by: matthew_wolf28 | March 24, 2009 11:44 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
The NFL should take a long look at what happened to the NHL with over-expansion and a watered down product.
Why "fix" what isn't broken? The only reason to change the league right now is that there just might be more money out there to wring out of TV and Cable deals, the season-ticket holders and the public.
Leave the 16 games alone. You mention as a con the "possibility of more injuries" but it should read, the certainty of more injuries. How many players play out the season in pain, delaying surgery until it's over? Read Michael Strahan's book, Inside the Helmet, and he devotes chapters to it.
Also, this will penalize teams that regularly make the playoffs. Their seasons will become much too long, and the necessary off-season healing, rest and recovery period not long enough.
Again, if Goodell doesn't like charging full price tickets for pre-season games that aren't up to his quality-game standards? Lower the damn ticket price for pre-season games and don't force the season ticket holders to buy them. There are plenty of fans who can't afford attending real games who would jump at the chance to attend a somewhat more affordable pre-season game.