For or Against 18 game schedule?

Hazys

One of the main issues in negotiating a new labour agreement is changing the the NFL season to have 18 games. The owners are for it, the players against it.

I'm against it for the following reasons:

• More injuries will ruin the quality of games near the end of the season and playoffs
• Most single season records which have stood for decades will be broken within the first few seasons
• NFL is highly competitive and entertaining from week to week because there are only 16 games and most games are must win. The more games you add, the less important regular season games become.
• 2 extra weekends of Football...meh, it doesnt outweigh the disadvantages
• Most importantly, if it aint broke, dont fix it

jman0war

I'm for it.

It's a bit pathetic in a way having so short a season and such a small league. They refer to being "World Champions" even though there is not a single other country's team participating.
Let's get a team in Toronto, and a few other US cities and states.

themont85

Eh 32 teams isn't small. It is just the right size. It would dilute quality for there to be more.

I'm against. They should have another bye week as it is. The sport is incredibly physical and 18 games would reduce career length without question. It would also dilute quality.

fisgon

The NFL season is ludicrously short. You can imagine professional rugby players looking at it and going... "what, you mean they play from September to December? And what do they do for the rest of the year?"

I know that the game is violent and incredibly physical, but giving teams an extra bye week, or even two extra, would go a long way to alleviating the extra damage caused by the increase in games.

And in essence it's not actually 2 extra games, it's simply that two pre-season games are being turned into meaningful ones. Obviously the starters wouldn't play all of the pre-season games, but they play some of them as it is. Sure it's not the same intensity, but pre-season still counts at the moment towards wear and tear, and this will be shortened in an 18 game regular season. I think the catastrophic effects of 18 games are being greatly exaggerated by the players as a bargaining position.

Lirange

Against it. Where does it stop? I would support going back to the old 14 game schedule before this. The season from training camp to the Super Bowl is stretched enough. I know these fellas make loads of dosh but we see that many pay later with long term health effects the rest of their lives. This has been covered and been a topic of discussion for years. The quality of living in retirement isn't as nice when you have back issues, bad hips, inflamed joints, and other chronic problems that you get with this sport but not in most others. It's not the first time the owners have backed expanding the schedule but Tagliabue told them where they could go.

davyjose

I'm against it. But part of me thinks the sport mightn't suffer too badly from it. Players will have to adapt. Defences will have to learn to tackle properly for a start, and all players will need to think "self-preservation".

I wonder how much alike American Football and Rugby would be if players played the same amount of games. Very, I reckon. That may not be a good thing, but players will adapt; Coaches will have to change tactics, and with the recent emphasis on hits, this may be the natural progression anyway. It will take away from the raw aggressiveness, but add to the skill/tactical element IMO.

But, it doesn't need these changes to be a great, great sport. It already is.

jdivision

Lirange wrote: »

I know these fellas make loads of dosh but we see that many pay later with long term health effects the rest of their lives..

They don't really though, minimum salary's $285,000 and average career length is 3.5 years. Half of that goes on taxes. Ross Tucker said that something like half of NFL players are broke or divorced or something else within two years of retirement.

raddo

I'm for it.
At least it would mean seeing the Dolphins in another 2 games because playoffs don't look likely any time soon!!

PeakOutput

i dont really care either way, its going to take alot for the players to agree with it

if they gave all players full health benefits for life in exchange for the extra two games then i could see it being worth it for players but i dont think thatt will happen

bruschi

jdivision wrote: »

They don't really though, minimum salary's $285,000 and average career length is 3.5 years. Half of that goes on taxes. Ross Tucker said that something like half of NFL players are broke or divorced or something else within two years of retirement.

dont want to take this off topic too much, but that is still a lot. the minimum there in that scenario is someone after their short career, earning over half a million. chances are their house is paid off. they will have got some sort of sponsorship to get some money outside of the actual contract. plus they are a celeb of somesort where they live or are from and can use that to their advantage in a career after football.

If you were to give me a half million bucks, tell me I can use publicity to get more, and have damn all bills to pay, I would be foolish to think I'd be broke after 2 years. and this is the minimum earning player.

granted, players dont put the same real life situations in place when playing and dont think of common stuff, but surely that is up to agents and teams and that to make sure they dont spurn what is a very good wage. the problem isnt their wage, or a short career, its that they are foolish with their money and think its a never ending pot.

as for the 18 game season, I'd be against it. but I think an extra bye week is no harm. the season is seriously condensed, and is causing enough injuries as it is. people want to see the best players on the best teams competing, not back ups and depleted sides.

mikemac

Not sure realy, I can see it from both sides.

While we have the 16 game season I see no reason not to have an extra bye week, spread the season out a bit more.
Maybe increase the roster also, nothing drastic, say 53 to 55

Can be looked at anyway

Hazys

bruschi wrote: »

dont want to take this off topic too much, but that is still a lot. the minimum there in that scenario is someone after their short career, earning over half a million. chances are their house is paid off. they will have got some sort of sponsorship to get some money outside of the actual contract. plus they are a celeb of somesort where they live or are from and can use that to their advantage in a career after football.

If you were to give me a half million bucks, tell me I can use publicity to get more, and have damn all bills to pay, I would be foolish to think I'd be broke after 2 years. and this is the minimum earning player.

granted, players dont put the same real life situations in place when playing and dont think of common stuff, but surely that is up to agents and teams and that to make sure they dont spurn what is a very good wage. the problem isnt their wage, or a short career, its that they are foolish with their money and think its a never ending pot.

as for the 18 game season, I'd be against it. but I think an extra bye week is no harm. the season is seriously condensed, and is causing enough injuries as it is. people want to see the best players on the best teams competing, not back ups and depleted sides.

TBH very few are famous or are recognisable on the street, not to mention some in their own home towns. 32 teams by 53 players = 1664 players how many of those do you recognise 300/400 if you follow it regularlly? That leaves over 1,000 nobodys. The majority of players earn a lot less than $1m a year and play for less than 4 seasons.

Take Tony Carter CB for the Patriots, he's probably a typical player on the fringe of the team. A young player who made the team this year from the practise squad (signed from the Vikings PS), but may not make it next year, so he'll probably bounce around the league on teams rosters and practise squads for a few years before its over. He has less than 2,000 followers on twitter, i have two friends who have as much followers on Twitter as he does. Whos going to give Tony Carter money to advertise their product? whos going to give him a cushy or better than average job once he retires?

Very few players are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, etc set for life out of the NFL, the majority will make above average money for 3.5 years and be forgoten within a year out of the league.

bruschi

Hazys wrote: »

TBH very few are famous or are recognisable on the street, not to mention some in their own home towns. 32 teams by 53 players = 1664 players how many of those do you recognise 300/400 if you follow it regularlly? That leaves over 1,000 nobodys. The majority of players earn a lot less than $1m a year and play for less than 4 seasons.

Take Tony Carter CB for the Patriots, he's probably a typical player on the fringe of the team. A young player who made the team this year from the practise squad (signed from the Vikings PS), but may not make it next year, so he'll probably bounce around the league on teams rosters and practise squads for a few years before its over. He has less than 2,000 followers on twitter, i have two friends who have as much followers on Twitter as he does. Whos going to give Tony Carter money to advertise their product? whos going to give him a cushy or better than average job once he retires?

Very few players are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, etc set for life out of the NFL, the majority will make above average money for 3.5 years and be forgoten within a year out of the league.

yeah I know exactly what you mean. but you know how it is with sales type rep jobs or bank officials etc. having on your CV that you played for the New England Patriots is cetainly a help and if you can not use it to your advantage then more fool you. Local newspapers and such like there, or high school coach jobs etc. they are in a place where they can exploit their talents to take the ordinary jobs and earn a wage. I dont mean they are going to be the face of Pepsi or anything.

Chucky the tree

I doubt it's even a help, unless for a coaching job. I doubt many banks would hire a person just because they play a season with the Patriots. Sure look at how Danny Woodhead got on at Modells. :pac:

jman0war

Hazys wrote: »

Take Tony Carter CB for the Patriots, he's probably a typical player on the fringe of the team. A young player who made the team this year from the practise squad (signed from the Vikings PS), but may not make it next year, so he'll probably bounce around the league on teams rosters and practise squads for a few years before its over. He has less than 2,000 followers on twitter, i have two friends who have as much followers on Twitter as he does. Whos going to give Tony Carter money to advertise their product? whos going to give him a cushy or better than average job once he retires?

Actually i believe quite a number of former players become members of coaching staffs. Edgar Bennett, running backs coach of the GB Packers for example. More cities with more teams means more jobs in the industry of football.

This strengthens the argument to expand the league. There is a market for football, lets grow the market.
Players health is not a reason not to expand. The league can mitigate this with rules and changes.

I just read some interesting stuff about helmets and some folks saying the best way to get players to stop hitting with their heads may be to bar helmets from practice, for example. It may condition the player to protect their head when laying a hit on someone.

themont85

They are offered college educations as well. For many kids in the States that is an unatainable dream. That is a real bonus of the pro system in the States. Now a lot just see it as a stop on the road to a pay cheque but the oppertunities are there.

Hazys

jman0war wrote: »

Actually i believe quite a number of former players become members of coaching staffs. Edgar Bennett, running backs coach of the GB Packers for example. More cities with more teams means more jobs in the industry of football.

This strengthens the argument to expand the league. There is a market for football, lets grow the market.
Players health is not a reason not to expand. The league can mitigate this with rules and changes.

I just read some interesting stuff about helmets and some folks saying the best way to get players to stop hitting with their heads may be to bar helmets from practice, for example. It may condition the player to protect their head when laying a hit on someone.

Id say 150/250 players leave the game every year thats (5-8 players a team) do you think 150/250 jobs reopen in the coaching ranks in the NFL each year?
Most people who coach take unpaid internships starting out and work their way up, hard to see many players taking that route. Obvioulsy some players will just be given the job but most jobs are taken by guys without NFL playing experience. Look at your own team, very few of the coaching staff have NFL playing experience. Out of 16 coaches for the Patriots only 2 have NFL playing experience.


Expanding the league would be ridiculous. The talent is stretched thin at the moment, expanding it would dilute it further. I would agree developing a minor league or sustaining the UFL would be a good idea because there are so many street free agents who get released at training camp, go back to a 9-5 then get signed back into the NFL, which is a bit ridiculous.


The helmet point is an interesting idea.

Chucky the tree

There isn't a market to expand really. Oakland, Bills, Vikings, Chargers and Jacksonville have all been looking to up and leave/are struggling to sell out.

jdivision

themont85 wrote: »

They are offered college educations as well. For many kids in the States that is an unatainable dream. That is a real bonus of the pro system in the States. Now a lot just see it as a stop on the road to a pay cheque but the oppertunities are there.

Or you could view it as an example of gross exploitation. Unpaid kids earning millions for their universities, universities that kick them out if they get injured. It didn't happen in this case - he was given a special scholarship - but one of the best prospects in years had his career ruined by a coach running up the score http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbvx5DYS6tE&playnext=1&list=PLB33516364232EA18
He was due to earn millions, now what for him, oh he's got an education but look at what most of them study - crime studies because language and mathematical skills are least required in those courses - many'll go work as cops or security guards after they leave college