Goodell wants to expand NFL season.

[nickagneta]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4015357

With a collective bargaining agreement coming up in the next few years, one of the changes the Commissioner is going to be pushing for is an expanded season. I think it makes a ton of sense given that with offseason conditioning programs and various different offseason camps and training camp that there really isn't a need for a long preseason to get the players into "football" playing shape or to integrate them into a team. These players work out and work with each other so much during the offseason that professional football has become a year round way of life.

My suggestion would be to forego the idea of 17 games with the extra game being a neutral site game. I think the scheduling would be a nightmare and the logistics of finding sites and getting them set up would be ridiculous. Go immediately to an 18 game schedule with an expanded playoff of 8 teams per conference. Make the season 20 weeks long with one idle week during the season and one off week for the league before the playoffs start.

Scheduling would be as such with each team playing the following:

-2 games each vs. division opponents (6 games total)
-1 game against each team in a division within the conference rotating, like now, yearly (4 games total)
-1 game against each team in a division in the other conference rotating, like now, yearly (4 games total)
-1 game against each equal seeded team in the other 2 divisions in the conference(1st vs 1st, 2nd vs. 2nd, etc.)(2 games total)
- 1 game against each of two teams from the previous year's scheduled non-conference division with the teams being decided as follows. Each team will play the like seeded team in that division and all 1 seeds will play all 3 seeds and all 2 seeds will play all 4 seeds as their last game. (2 games total)

As an example the Pats would be scheduled, based on this year's results and the divisions played this year as:

Miami -twice
Buffalo -twice
Jets - twice
Baltimore - 2-seed
Indianapolis - 2-seed and regularly scheduled rotational in conference other division opponent
Denver - 2 seed
Tennessee - regularly scheduled rotational in conference other division opponent
Houston - regularly scheduled rotational in conference other division opponent
Jacksonville - regularly scheduled rotational in conference other division opponent
Carolina - regularly scheduled rotational out of conference division opponent
Tampa Bay - regularly scheduled rotational out of conference division opponent
Atlanta - regularly scheduled rotational out of conference division opponent
New Orleans - regularly scheduled rotational out of conference division opponent
San Francisco - 2 seed out of conference divisional opponent from prior year
St. Louis - 4 seed out of conference divisional opponent from prior year

After the regualr season ends all 16 teams get another week idle. Then natural 1v8, 2v7, 3v6, 4v5 playoff format with reseeding each week based on results and no week off before the Superbowl. That way all offseason events can be scheduled as always and there's not the hassle if adding the two teams in the conference of figuring which teams are played in conference and ensuring a team only plays their divisional opponents twice during the regular season. Also done the way it is with the extra two teams added, one game will be against a like seeded team from the previous year, which if the team is bad/good is theoretically pitting the team against another bad/good team and another game against an opposite seeded team meaning they will be playing either a good team if they were bad or vice versa.

Just one man's ideas. I think the expanded season makes sense for everybody from owners to players to advertisers to fans. The last two preseason games have become nothing more than a protect your vets so they don't get hurt type thing anyway. Might as well make those games count and make those players play.

[wdleehi]

Really dislike the idea. 


How many NFL player last a 16 game season and (if they are lucky) the playoffs? 



And do not expand the playoffs.  The NFL playoffs are just fine the way they are. 

[yall hate]

As a fan, I want to see as much football as possible. 

But I don't like the idea of expanding the season.  I don't think it would be good for the players health...

As for the last two weeks of the preseason being relaxed, while that is certainly true, I think that is indicative of the fact that coaches think their players only have a certain number of snaps in them per season before injury naturally takes over.  I also think those weeks are important in allowing injured players to get back in, young players to compete for jobs, or new team members more time to learn playbooks and get comfortable with the team. 

Rest is important for players, that is why so many coaches rest starters towards the end of the season when playoff spots are locked up (although the success of this strategy is certainly in question).

I think it would be better to not charge as much for the preseason which is an utter joke and rip off.  to charge full price for meaningless games, full price for parking, etc...is a rip off.

[wdleehi]

Only one NFL owner is against it.


http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/2009/03/giants-dont-want-expanded-nfl.html

Giants don't want expanded NFL schedule

It’s only a matter of time before the NFL expands to either a 17- or 18-game regular season. In fact, a vote could come in May and the change could happen in 2011.

And when it does, Giants co-owner John Mara won’t be happy about it.

Out at the NFL owners meetings yesterday, Mara said the Giants are “the only ones” in the NFL against the expansion of the schedule, even though it would mean more money in teams’ pockets.

“I just think it’s tough on the players’ health that late in the season,” Mara said. “We have a tough enough time getting through practice and getting through the game with your roster intact. Now we are going to be adding more games. So, we have to do something with the roster size. (But) it’s coming at some point.”

Yes it is, and it makes sense. I’ve yet to meet a player who likes playing four preseason games, so losing two and adding two regular season games would certainly be preferable. Fans, who are forced to buy preseason games as part of their season-ticket package, surely would like two more games that count. It also opens up the possibility of more overseas games in the future, which could expand the NFL even more.

Of course, this will likely all be discussed as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, too. If there’s a way to make more money for the owners, undoubtedly the players would like to share the wealth.

[crownsy]

so much for any records being relevant in about 10 years.

[Tnerb02]

I'm all for an 18 game schedule. More football = good. If the NFL is concerned with expanding their visibility into different venues and developing players, then they should create and NFL developmental league that can be played in the spring in the USA. 16 games is just too short of a season for me personally and I don't care that much about records. They are made to be broken.

[crownsy]

I'm all for an 18 game schedule. More football = good. If the NFL is concerned with expanding their visibility into different venues and developing players, then they should create and NFL developmental league that can be played in the spring in the USA. 16 games is just too short of a season for me personally and I don't care that much about records. They are made to be broken.

there not being broken. there being screwed by 2 extra games.

they should just clear the books or asterisk the whole thing if there going to add in two new games.

[Roy Hobbs]

I'm all for an 18 game schedule. More football = good. If the NFL is concerned with expanding their visibility into different venues and developing players, then they should create and NFL developmental league that can be played in the spring in the USA. 16 games is just too short of a season for me personally and I don't care that much about records. They are made to be broken. 

there not being broken. there being screwed by 2 extra games.

they should just clear the books or asterisk the whole thing if there going to add in two new games.

Well, you could say the same thing about when the league went from a 14 to a 16 game schedule in 1978.  O.J. Simpson racked up 2003 yards in 14 games in 1973.  Is anybody griping that Eric Dickerson holds the record, with 2105 in 16 games?  Should there be an asterisk on Dickerson's season, as well as those of Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, and Terrel Davis (all of whom have had 16 game seasons of more than 2003 yards?)

[crownsy]

I'm all for an 18 game schedule. More football = good. If the NFL is concerned with expanding their visibility into different venues and developing players, then they should create and NFL developmental league that can be played in the spring in the USA. 16 games is just too short of a season for me personally and I don't care that much about records. They are made to be broken. 

there not being broken. there being screwed by 2 extra games.

they should just clear the books or asterisk the whole thing if there going to add in two new games.

Well, you could say the same thing about when the league went from a 14 to a 16 game schedule in 1978.  O.J. Simpson racked up 2003 yards in 14 games in 1973.  Is anybody griping that Eric Dickerson holds the record, with 2105 in 16 games?  Should there be an asterisk on Dickerson's season, as well as those of Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, and Terrel Davis (all of whom have had 16 game seasons of more than 2003 yards?)

IMO, you bet.

but then again, people don't care about football records as much as baseball ones i guess, im probley in a small minority.

[Donoghus]

Like some others, I'm not in favor of this.  Season is a tough enough grind with 16 games.  The two additional games is just make it that tougher for these players to grind through the season. 

[shookones99]

Really dislike the idea. 


How many NFL player last a 16 game season and (if they are lucky) the playoffs? 



And do not expand the playoffs.  The NFL playoffs are just fine the way they are. 

Couldn't agree more.  There is already enough injuries as it is.

And the NFL playoffs are perfect the way they are.  I would hate if it got diluted the way the NBA playoffs are by having 8 teams in each conference make it.  There is already some 8-8 or 9-7 teams making the playoffs.  Two more spots and we would have 7-9 (or I guess 8-10) teams making it.