NFL (quite possibly) Moving Forward With 18-Game Season

[morsdraconis]

NFL moving forward with 18-game season

ATLANTA (AP)—NFL owners are eager to increase the regular season from 16 to 18 games.

The players aren’t so sure.

During a five-hour meeting at a posh hotel in downtown Atlanta, the push to add two more games to the regular season picked up steam Wednesday—at least among those who sign the checks.

“I think it’s a win-win all around,” said Bob Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots.

Goodell pointed out that the league already has the right to impose an 18-game schedule—and keep four preseason games for each team—under the current labor agreement with the players. But that contract expires after this season, and it’s clear the expanded schedule will be a central issue in talks on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The owners would like to keep the season at 20 weeks, reducing the number of preseason games from four to two.

“We want to do it the right way for everyone, including the players, the fans and the game in general,” Goodell said. “There’s a tremendous amount of momentum for it. We think it’s the right step.”

Around the NFL, however, many players questioned the wisdom of making an already grueling season even longer. At the very least, they want more money— and several proposed changes in the rules governing injured players, or adding an extra bye week to deal with the grind.

“With 16 games, every game is important and therefore the fans are very into it, the stadiums are packed because they know if their team loses, it pushes them further and further away from making the playoffs,” Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer said. “I think if you go to 18, each game kind of loses a little bit of its significance.”

The players clearly expect to be receive a bigger chunk of the multi-billion-dollar NFL pie if they’re going to be putting their bodies on the line in two more games that count.

“Obviously the players want to be compensated for two more games,” San Francisco 49ers linebacker Matt Wilhelm said. “That’s the one thing the players have to get met.”



Rest of story available here: NFL moving forward with 18-game season

[Rudy]

NFL players are already half crippled when they are 50. Adding more games is dangerous to their health but the owners don't care. This is all about money and Forbes is reporting that the average NFL franchise value dropped this year. It's the first time since 1998 that the average value dropped.

Preseason games are useless. College football doesn't have an exhibition season although you could make the argument that scheduling a creampuff in the first week qualifies as one. People talk about how important it is to see the younger guys but most roster spots are spoken for already. Teams can just go back to joint team practices and controlled scrimmages in training camp if they need to.

Adding two more games to an NFL schedule just waters down the regular season some more. That's the beauty of college football's regular season. One loss has a massive impact on your ability to win a national championship or your conference. 18 games is too much but the NFL won't care about watering down anything. This decision is entirely based on one thing - money. That's how the NFL operates and every decision is based on it.

[JBHuskers]

Yeah I have mixed feelings on the situation. But there is nothing that can stop the money train.

[skipwondah33]

They kind of have to...players salaries aren't getting any smaller. I do think this would bring meaningful NFL games to us earlier instead of having to wait until the 2nd week or so of September.

On the other hand adding 2 additional games would be tough, they already have the playoffs to go through given they make it.

[steelerfan]

This has been brewing for a very long time. I've been hoping it would go away, but it's not. The NFLPA should have pushed for a new CBA before this uncapped year. If they really wanted to stop this, they should have gotten a new CBA in place before the owners started resorting to these types of measures. It's impossible to gauge what will happen in the end since all the quotes are crafted as posturing for CBA negotiations. I suspect that this will eventually happen though.

Salaries will go up no matter what if this becomes a reality. Even if a new CBA gives the players the same % of the pie, the pie will be larger because of the additional TV revenue. Although the salaries may be slightly offset by the fact that there will be a push to increase roster size even if it's just another bump to the size of the practice squad.

My knee jerk to this, as a fan, when I first heard of the possibility a couple of years ago was to not want it because of the inflated statistics that will destroy nearly every NFL record. Further than that, again as fans, we should consider how this will impact the end of the regular season. More games means more "rolling over". If we had an 18 game schedule last year, the Colts would have likely been inclined to play it safe for 3 weeks instead of 2. This will mean more bad football at the end of the year and more teams who may not deserve playoff spots (see the 09 Jets) having them gift wrapped. In addition, this will have an impact (to some degree) on the playoffs. More games means more snaps which translates to more injuries and more opportunities for your team's star players to be lost for the playoffs.

As a fan, I don't like it at all. Joe Dipshit, who doesn't know a left guard from a zone blitz or a CBA from a PUP list may look at this and think, "Cool! More (fantasy) football! More of everything, woot!"

You're right, Joe. More injuries, more teams playing backups at the end of the season, more $ out of your wallet for NFL Sunday Ticket to watch games that mean less. More starters on IR during the playoffs. More of EVERYTHING.

Personally, I'd rather see no change to the regular season and a reduction to 2 or 3 preseason games. With that, the league could add another bye week (further reducing injury impact and increasing quality). That would give 16 games in an 18 week season. The 18 weeks of TV (versus 17 now) would result in bigger TV deals, more money (the real goal), less leverage for the players (in terms of a CBA) and less risk without reducing the quality of the product or diminishing history.

[morsdraconis]

You're all absolutely right in that this is completely driven by the money possibly being made at an additional home game for each team in the regular season compared to a preseason home game (which most definitely doesn't get as many people to the games).

I think what's going to end up happening is you're going to get a 20 week season so that they can get another bye week in there (18 games with 2 bye weeks). I just don't see the players agreeing to anything less. We may very well have a strike coming as well. We may see another 1982 next season. We already have players willing to sit out seasons to get what they want (and well deserve to do so considering how long an NFL career is now).

[steelerfan]

The revenue increase will be (nearly) only related to TV money. Adding a home regular season game while taking away a home preseason game is almost a wash at the ticket window because preseason games are already included, at full price, when you buy season tickets. The difference (even with parking and concessions) is is so small it wouldn't be noticed by 95% of the teams.

TV is what brings in the $$$.

[JBHuskers]

You're all absolutely right in that this is completely driven by the money possibly being made at an additional home game for each team in the regular season compared to a preseason home game (which most definitely doesn't get as many people to the games).

I think what's going to end up happening is you're going to get a 20 week season so that they can get another bye week in there (18 games with 2 bye weeks). I just don't see the players agreeing to anything less. We may very well have a strike coming as well. We may see another 1982 next season. We already have players willing to sit out seasons to get what they want (and well deserve to do so considering how long an NFL career is now).

Fantasy football heaven with 20 weeks .... two bye weeks would be ideal, and hopefully they implement it that way.

[JeffHCross]

I hope JB read steelerfan's post ...

[morsdraconis]

two bye weeks would be ideal, and hopefully they implement it that way.

I don't see how they'll be able to do it without. Hell, at 16 games, one bye week almost isn't enough, especially the teams that get screwed and get their bye week on week 4 or some shit.

I'm not sure how scheduling will work, but I definitely agree with someone that said before that 12 games out of conference almost makes the conference games meaningless.

[steelerfan]

I hope JB read steelerfan's post ...

Are you calling JB "Joe Dipshit"?

Or, wait.....did I?

Permabans are about to be handed out! :eek:

[JBHuskers]

I hope JB read steelerfan's post ...

yes I'm Joe Dipshit .... but at least I know a left guard from a zone blitz

I know you don't like it Steelerfan, but I'm just looking at it as it's going to already happen.

[steelerfan]

yes I'm Joe Dipshit .... but at least I know a left guard from a zone blitz

I know you don't like it Steelerfan, but I'm just looking at it as it's going to already happen.

Yeah, I know, buddy. Like I said, I believe it will happen too. I just don't think it's a good thing. My main qualms are injuries and teams "rolling over". I'll be watching, as always, though.

Here We Go, Steelers!

[Rudy]

Imagine the poor Lions fans that thought 0-16 was bad. Wait until you have teams going for 0-18 or finishing 1-17. Those seasons will be really long. And teams like the Colts who don't believe in perfect seasons may start shutting their team down a full 4-5 weeks ahead of time to rest players if the division gets locked up. Does the season start before Labour Day or does it just run really long. Adding time to the end of the season in cold cities is not a great idea for attendance imo. I don't see many positives here at all other than more money in the owner's pockets. Those extra two network TV weeks are big money.

I know the owners are struggling and really need more money to feed their families. Every NFL team only gets over $100 million in TV revenue alone. That's peanuts! How can they survive? I say they start selling more ads on the player jerseys to avoid the inevitable bankruptcies. Poor players like Ochocinco should be smarter and change their last name to Coke or BurgerKing. Now that would help generate more revenue because housing and car costs have risen. No way a player can survive on an average $2 million dollar salary with alimony and child support payments along with mortgages on two homes and five car leases.

[JeffHCross]

I look at MLS and soccer around the world and see sponsors on the front of jerseys. I look at the WNBA and see it, plus NFL teams having sponsors on practice jerseys (seriously, who is going to buy a product because its on a practice jersey?). I can only imagine it's a matter of time before it happens on NFL jerseys.