Should the NFL add two regular season games??

[Kris P Lettus]

The thought being that they "drop" two "meaningless" preseason games, start the regular season after Labor Day weekend, and add the two regular season games at the end of the season..

Goodell, CBS, NBC, and Fox are all for it, but the players union is trying to renegotiate the collective bargaining agreement..

So do you like this or no??

[VonErichLives]

fuck yea!

The pre-season games are the biggest rip-off in sports, especially where football tickets are so expensive to begin with.

The argument from the NFL is "they get paid for 20 games"

The argument from the players union is "we get payed for 16 real games, and 4 that are practice"

So, I think they want like a 12% bump in pay across the board.

The other issue is they will probably expand the rosters to cover more potential injuries.

[DrA]

No, no, no, no. The last thing the NFL needs is to inflate their schedules.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Of course the networks are for it. Who really cares what they think? I dunno I like the current method. It's balanced. 18 games would be harder to balance.

[DrA]

An 18 game regular season would be fucking brutal. 16 games is already too much as it is. Preseason games are not the same as regular season games either. Few starters are even able to play a whole 16 games in the span of a season.

It would also inflate statistics/win-loss records to a point where you would have these stupid arguments over whether someone who threw 50 touchdowns in 18 games should be counted as a record and bullshit bullshit bullshit.

[Kris P Lettus]

It's balanced. 18 games would be harder to balance.

Only thing I can see wrong with it..

[SammyG]

No, no, no, no. The last thing the NFL needs is to inflate their schedules.

[Triple A]

I voted yes b/c I always get all sad when the season ends and it always feels way too short.

But DrA is def right about the records thing.

And yeah, the "OCD" part of me likes how well organized everything is with a 16 game schedule and 32 teams.

I do not know.

[Crimson]

I would just be in favor of cutting the pre season to 2 or 3 games but that will not happen or they lose money. So yea i'm in favor of 2 more games, better than 2 pre season games.

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

I think they should just keep it the way it is, the season is long enough as it is. Adding extra games is only going to get the guys more banged up and I don't see increasing the quality of play on the field. Especially for the 2 teams that make it to the Superbowl, you are looking at 21 or 22 "real" games.

[Team Sheep]

I would love 2 extra games, though in saying that I quite like how the season is as short as it is because it really makes every game feel like there's a lot riding on it. I hate how in other sports they play too often so it can take away from the quality and get boring at times. In the NFL you know how short the season is so you really make the most of it. I don't think 2 extra weeks of football would effect this though, so yeah why not.

[Gonzo]

No, the move to an 18 game regular season seems purely designed to make more money for the NFL and the TV networks that carry the games.

First of all, with 32 teams, a 16 game schedule with 1 bye week has been well organized and maintained for years now. Second, the season is a war of attrition. The NFL would have to expand roster sizes and you're looking at more injuries, especially season ending ones at that. Third, the NFL and the NFLPA would have to work out an agreement for paying the players more, and the deal that they have to get done already is likely going to be difficult to iron out. Fourth, the quality of play may be slightly diluted due to the injury aspect and increased roster size. Fifth, the importance of every week of the season becomes slightly less due to the increase in the schedule.

I also think that if there were to be a move to 18 games, the NFL would likely look at making every team play one game abroad. I'm okay with teams playing in North America, but travel and such would dictate that teams would need a bye week immediately after their game abroad if the game was overseas. As much as the NFL is going to be about expanding their global appeal, I really think they should stick to North America not for just logistical purposes, but because thats where the broadest appeal remains and will remain on a consistent basis.

[Krimzon7]

sixteen games in this Brutally Beautiful sport are enough. Any more is too much.

[VonErichLives]

So, the arguments against it are....

18 games wouldn't "balance"...

Difficulty getting the collective bargaining deal done

More injures

and my favorite argument against it "it will cause arguments about records"...

As for the 18 games, I'm pretty sure the NFL would figure this one out.

Same with collective bargaining.

now more injuries, yes... they would expand rosters... but players get injured in pre-season all the time... and my concern is as the nfl players get bigger, stronger and faster we're going to see so many protective rules put in, that it will become flag football.

So, the injury risk doesn't worry me as much... it's part of the game.

and well, the argument about records, spots evolve over time, the nfl once played 14reg and 6pre, every sport evolves over time and they add new games or tweak rules... Look at the NFL... adding teams, bye weeks, bye week before the superbowl... things change.

my only concern would be when they start the season... would they start it 2 weeks earlier or would they start it the same and have it run 2 weeks later? If they let it run 2 weeks later, I can see fans in bad weather areas not being happy about two shitty weather games (although personally I love a good snow game or mud game).

Also, keeping in mind most season ticket holders have to pay the same for the pre-season games as they do the regular season games... so, for the fans it's a better deal.

[Team Sheep]

The argument about injuries irks me slightly. It's 2 extra games, not a whole extra season.

[Testicle]

The only way to do it if they were to do it would be to remore 2 pre-season games, then add 2 more regular season games.

The regular season is long enough as it is though, imo.

[Krimzon7]

Don't think for a moment that NFL wouldn't jack up season ticket prices. Not one single Decision Maker gives a damn about giving the fan a 'deal'.

[VonErichLives]

The only way to do it if they were to do it would be to remore 2 pre-season games, then add 2 more regular season games.

The regular season is long enough as it is though, imo.

That is the plan as suggested is to cut the pre-season to 2 games.

Don't think for a moment that NFL wouldn't jack up season ticket prices. Not one single Decision Maker gives a damn about giving the fan a 'deal'.

That is the only part that concerns me... if they have to pay players 12% more and keep/pay a few more "active" players... I'd expect them to pass the cost along to the fans.. unless they get more in advertising money for the two regular season games that off set it.

Also, when people say "the regular season is long enough" are they referring to the # of real games or the time in a year it takes for a season? because I'm pretty sure the nfl season is the shortest of the 4 major sports...

[Crimson]

Didn't the NFL just raise the salary cap ?

[Team Sheep]

I'd rather the games to be added to the end of the season than the beginning. I don't like the idea of football in August, it's definitely a winter sport.

[Testicle]

Didn't the NFL just raise the salary cap ?

Yes, by about 15 million which is the largest increase in a while.

[Krimzon7]

It wouldn't matter how many extra millions the networks would GIVE the NFL... If there are two extra games in the regular season, then the Owners will see an extra opportunity to charge two extra regular season ticket gates. There won't even be a Salary Cap next year which will be awesome.

[road doggy dogg]

I think 16 games is fine. I'm definitely in favor of reducing preseason games down though. Unfortunately, that has zero chance of ever happening.
crossrine

[VonErichLives]

It wouldn't matter how many extra millions the networks would GIVE the NFL... If there are two extra games in the regular season, then the Owners will see an extra opportunity to charge two extra regular season ticket gates. There won't even be a Salary Cap next year which will be awesome.

ok, I can only speak for New England, but I'm pretty sure most NFL teams are the same from what i've heard.

there are 10 home games, 2 pre and 8 reg.

the SAME ticket price is charged for every single game, pre-season or regular season.

doesn't matter which it is.

So, they could raise across the board for every game, but they don't currently give a discount for pre-season.

so, if ticket prices stayed the same, it's a better deal for the fans.

[Krimzon7]

That isn't the case everywhere, at least I don't think. I totally see them jacking the prices. I do understand your reasoning VEL, and would totally agree with you.

[The Gold Standard]

No way, if this happens, the injuries will jump up and it will be bad for the NFL

[VonErichLives]

That isn't the case everywhere, at least I don't think. I totally see them jacking the prices. I do understand your reasoning VEL, and would totally agree with you.

Dunno, always heard from people with seasons else where it's the same... maybe some of the teams that have trouble selling tickets do it differently... but think of it this way, if a team is going to sell out it's season ticket base during the regular season, why not force those same people to buy the 2 pre-season games at full value.

It's this way with most other sports also... like my Celtics tickets, pre-season tickets are the same price as regular season.

Kripsy - you had Saints tickets, how did they charge for pre-season?

No way, if this happens, the injuries will jump up and it will be bad for the NFL

yes and as players get bigger and faster injuries will jump also...

Keep in mind, this isn't adding 2 more games, bringing it to 22 today, it's playing the same number of games, but just using more of your starters for two of them, since rosters are limited most starters see some action in all 4 pre-season games... I'd say maybe the top 5 players on each team see limited or no action, such as your top QB's, RB and WR's,

But if protecting against injuries will be the reason for everything, then we're going to have flag football or situations where a QB can't get touched.

[Jesus Shuttlesworth]

I just don't see it increasing the quality of play on the field by adding two more games. I think it would lead to issues between the NFLPA and owners as well, which could do more harm than good for the fans.

I don't think players are necessarily going to have season ending injuries or anything, but I definitely think the players will be getting more banged up. Plus if they start the season earlier they are definitely going to start training camps earlier so the wear and tear will only increase. Even with this scenario of the same amount of games I still see them starting camp earlier because the "real thing" starts 2 weeks earlier. I also don't like how this would eliminate a lot of records, however I guess that's already happened when the season jumped from 14 to 16 games.

[WestNZ]

DO IT, 18 games with players trying their hardest would be better, and less preseason BS would be great also