Goodell's expanded schedule idea

[moklerman]

If Roger Goodell gets his way and the regular season is expanded to 17 or 18 games, I wonder if they will increase the number of division games?

In general, I like the idea if it's based on eliminating as many preseason games as they add to the regular season.

If they go to 17 games, I was thinking that they could make each team play each division opponent 3 times rather than 2. That would increase division games from 6 to 9 and actually make them more important and a majority of a team's schedule(9 to 8). I haven't figured out how the third game's location would be determined. In the first year of the new program I was thinking they would just do a coin toss to see who got the extra home game and every year after that, the team that won 2 or more of the 3 games the previous year would get the choice of location(obviously they would choose to be home but you never know).

Anyone else have ideas on what a 17 or 18 game schedule would do to the league? Good or bad?

 

[slanidrac16]

I have an idea. Just leave things as they are. More does not mean better. These players are getting beat up pretty bad during a season not to mention the post season.
Do you really want the season to start in August? I actually enjoy the preseason as an appetizer for the new season.

 

[cgolden]

Here's the GOLDEN PLAN:

If we have to expand the schedule (which I'm not for), than I'd expand it one game and kill two birds (not Cardinals though) with one stone. Intrigued?

Ok here goes, the one extra game for each team would be an international game. That would give the league 16 chances to expand their market outside of the US borders. They don't necessarily have to go overseas every time though because Mexico and Canada are viable markets. And another idea, I'm kicking around that's not quite finalized yet it playing games at neutral sites inside the US. For example, how about the a game in the LA Coliseum or any other huge college stadium that doesn't have a neighboring NFL teams. Anyways, that would make it easier than trying to figure out who gets an extra home game. Thoughts?

 

[Scott MS]

If Roger Goodell gets his way and the regular season is expanded to 17 or 18 games, I wonder if they will increase the number of division games?

In general, I like the idea if it's based on eliminating as many preseason games as they add to the regular season.

If they go to 17 games, I was thinking that they could make each team play each division opponent 3 times rather than 2. That would increase division games from 6 to 9 and actually make them more important and a majority of a team's schedule(9 to 8). I haven't figured out how the third game's location would be determined. In the first year of the new program I was thinking they would just do a coin toss to see who got the extra home game and every year after that, the team that won 2 or more of the 3 games the previous year would get the choice of location(obviously they would choose to be home but you never know).

Anyone else have ideas on what a 17 or 18 game schedule would do to the league? Good or bad?

I seriously doubt they would increase the number of divisional games. First, because there are so many divisional games now, and second how would you fairly split home and away with 3 games per opponent?

Further, this causes real scheduling issues. The schedule now is so balanced: 6 division games, 4 games against an entire AFC division, 4 games against one other NFC division, 2 games against other two NFC division teams that finished the same place as you. Where would the next team come from? Would it be some randomly selected team?

You would almost need to move to 18 games so that you can balance the schedule.

 

[WildBB]

If Roger Goodell gets his way and the regular season is expanded to 17 or 18 games, I wonder if they will increase the number of division games?

In general, I like the idea if it's based on eliminating as many preseason games as they add to the regular season.

If they go to 17 games, I was thinking that they could make each team play each division opponent 3 times rather than 2. That would increase division games from 6 to 9 and actually make them more important and a majority of a team's schedule(9 to 8). I haven't figured out how the third game's location would be determined. In the first year of the new program I was thinking they would just do a coin toss to see who got the extra home game and every year after that, the team that won 2 or more of the 3 games the previous year would get the choice of location(obviously they would choose to be home but you never know).

Anyone else have ideas on what a 17 or 18 game schedule would do to the league? Good or bad?

I heard on the radio that an extra game would be held at a neutral site. Like London , Mexico City, Tokyo, somewhere the NFL is trying to grow.

With so much on the new CBA slate however it's not at all a given that it will be in the new contract.

I believe the extra game would be an out of conference game. NFC vs. AFC team.

 

[daytripper]

Perhaps his intention is to set the ground work for another round of expansion.
By expanding the scedule by two games it would make sense to then expand each division by one team.
Add in London,Toronto, LA and Tucson! for starters.

 

[Shogun]

Please leave it the way it is. The current season setup is PERFECT.

 

[Trey]

Perhaps his intention is to set the ground work for another round of expansion.
By expanding the scedule by two games it would make sense to then expand each division by one team.
Add in London,Toronto, LA and Tucson! for starters.

One of these things is not like the others...
One of these things just doesn't belong...

Please don't take this personally. I'm in the minority in that I actually like some of the international exhibitions. But there's just something comical about comparing Tucson to world-class international cities like London, Toronto, and LA...

 

[Mulli]

With all the complaints about eastcoast to westcoast travel, I fail to see the sense in adding international travel to the equation.

 

[WildBB]

With all the complaints about eastcoast to westcoast travel, I fail to see the sense in adding international travel to the equation.

Unless it's Canada or Mexico City, Monterey. Keep it on the continent. There are still plenty of American Cities that would love NFL football, but that tends to diminish the college teams that those area's do so well in supporting. The present format (4 divisions/4 teams) is good, IMO. Otherwise the talent gets somewhat too diluted.

 

[Angel]

I seriously doubt they would increase the number of divisional games. First, because there are so many divisional games now, and second how would you fairly split home and away with 3 games per opponent?

Alphabetically, yep I vote for alphabetically.....

Seriously though extending the season and adding games that include travel to place like London, Japan (and Tucson ) would be a serious shock to many players systems.

Could you imagine our team traveling EAST to England and playing a regular season game, one that counts?

 

[Mulli]

With the current state of Mexico, no way the NFL expands there.

 

[WildBB]

With the current state of Mexico, no way the NFL expands there.

Mexico wil always be Mexico. It's a different culture. But I'll tell you this, they are rabid NFL fans. They would need to meet all the security requirements that regular American cities employ. That's not an issue.

 

[justAndy]

If total amount of games is increased, wouldn't the players demand a proportionally greater amt of $?

 

[jf-08]

I believe this is just a game that Goodell is playing for the upcoming negotiations on the collective bargaining agreement.

I know the NFL PA wants more % from revenues to be part of the salary and owners do not want that.

So in order to get more profits, have another game.

This is merely a bargaining tactic and probably doesn't have much leg strength.

 

[WildBB]

If total amount of games is increased, wouldn't the players demand a proportionally greater amt of $?

They allready get paid for 20 games (4 pre-season), which are charged at full price by the NFL. That's a big part of the issue. This way the fans would be only charged full price for one pre-season game, which is better for us.

And if those two games are moved to regular season, even though we're still paying the same prices as the pre-season games, the players would have to get a slice of the pie in the new CBA. That might mean ticket price increases on us.

The other issue, I just heard talked about by the Cards special teams coach, is that it hinders the evaluation process of the new talent the teams bring in by diminishing the pre-season schedule. The way around this, that I see is that teams could hold two full scrimages with refs and all for all the rookies and new rookie FA invitee's in like Flagstaff and just charge like spring training prices to go see those scrimages. That way the teams can evaluate what they have better. Then integrate them right into the 2nd halfs of the two regular pre-season games at the stadiums.

 

[moklerman]

I'm not sure I agree with the evaluation argument. The last game of preseason is virtually useless at this point. What do 3rd stringers vs. 3rd stringers help evaluate?

 

[Shogun]

I'm not sure I agree with the evaluation argument. The last game of preseason is virtually useless at this point. What do 3rd stringers vs. 3rd stringers help evaluate?

Who wants to be on the roster more.........?

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

bad Idea... every team plays on neutral/foreign site? yawn...

 

[DoTheDew]

If they did do this, I would like to see the roster size expanded to 60 as well (since more injuries will occur it would be nice to have more players in the system who know what is going on) but keep the same number of active players on game day. The 2 additional games would allow the NFL to make "story line" games while keeping the same format (either 1 additional AFC and NFC opponent for each team or 2 in conference games, I personally prefer 1 of each) this would allow for the rebirth of old rivalries. Arizona could play Pittsburg and Dallas every year? Giants and Colts would probably be a reoccuring game too. As well as Colts and Patriots.

All that said, I think the NFL NEEDS to wait for the economy to recover before they consider something like this because fans aren't going to want to pay for an extra home game each year, and owners aren't going to want to pay the additional salary players will want from 2 more games.

 

[daytripper]

One of these things is not like the others...
One of these things just doesn't belong...

Please don't take this personally. I'm in the minority in that I actually like some of the international exhibitions. But there's just something comical about comparing Tucson to world-class international cities like London, Toronto, and LA...

Your absolutely right. None of the other three can touch Tucson!
If Buffalo and Green Bay can have a team why not the Old Pueblo?
All in jest of course, the reality is that Az can barely support one team let alone two.
I do see an expansion in the near future however. There are several markets that the NFL cant afford to ignore.

 

[TJ]

The NFL has the best scheduling system in all of professional sports. The NBA used to have a pretty good set up until they realigned the divisions.

For the love of Pete, please leave it as is

 

[JeffGollin]

Gollin's Loony Idea...

Combine the two concepts being bandied around the ownership conference: (1) a development league and (2) an expanded schedule.

1. Expand to 18 regular season games.

2. Reduce the number of preseason games to 2.

3. But convert the two deleted preseason games to two rookie games.

4. Change the PS so that it's players would participate in a (roughly) 8 game late-summer/early fall developmental league schedule..

5. To create the Developmental League, combine the PS's of 3 teams (clustered regionally where possible) and also allocate other UDFA's and other young or entry-level players good enough to compete to the various teams.

6. Locate the Development League teams in non-NFL (but good TV) markets and let NFL Net televise the games.

7. Example:

- The first two weeks of preseason would consist of rookie games (where young Cardinal players would be indoctrinated and also get plenty of reps).

- In preseason Week #3, rookies and other young players woud either allocated to a PS or retained on the main roster. (There could still be some degree of shuttling back & forth).

- Soon thereafter (in preseason week 3, 4, 5 or whenever) - members of the Cardinal PS would be combined with players on the San Diego and Denver PS's to form "The LA Lightning."

- The Lightning would compete in an 8 game schedule with the "Portland Pigs", Columbus Cats" and other developmental teams.

- At some point (either during or after completion of the 8-game season) NFL teams would be able to pull back players from their PS in order to restock their rosters.

- Perhaps some mechanism could be established (similar to now) where one team could poach another team's PS so long as they put the dude on their regular roster (Actually, I've always hated that wrinkle, but it's one of several short strokes that could be easily ironed out).

Result - Longer regular sked. Minor league. Roster replenishment.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

I like the idea. Pre-season games are meaningless and guys needlessly get hurt. College doesn't have a pre-season and they do OK. The players don't like the pre-season games either. You can tell in camp who your roster is going to be anyway. There are plenty of live scrimmages and that's as good as indicator as any pre-season game when it comes to filling out your roster.

 

[LVG]

I like that idea, JG - also would like to see a slightly expanded main roster for the teams (say sixty instead of 53, QB's do not count against the overall 60, and you can have up to 4 or 5).