11/05/24
March 25, 2009
Goodell wants longer regular season: The NFL commissioner believes four preseason games is too many? Tell that to the undrafted or low-level free agents who are pursuing their dream of making it in the NFL!
Tell that to the undrafted or low-level free agents who are pursuing their dream of making it in the NFL!
Goodell did state in the article that he wants a developmental league to help develop future players, so that would take care of that concern.
posted by dviking at 10:00 AM on March 26, 2009
Isn't college football the developmental league?
posted by kokaku at 10:19 AM on March 26, 2009
There are all these retired guys with brain damage and unable to walk, etc. Many of them played 14 game seasons, not 16.
True that but you must also mention that when there were 14 games in the NFL, most of the rules were different as well. Players were getting clotheslined, forearmed, horse-collared or just flattened and they weren't even penalized. Football is the most popular sport in America due to the fact that the game is so unpredictable and the violence is spontaneous. 17 or 18 games with the rules of today doesn't mean that all of a sudden, the injuries will pile up even more so than they would if the season stayed at 16 games but that's just my opinion.
posted by BornIcon at 10:57 AM on March 26, 2009
Also, to further BI's point, maybe we should hold coaches a bit more in contempt than the evil corporate suits for the sad physical health of NFL veterans. They deserve better compensation no doubt, but why do we not ask where the coaches were when these guys were playing when they shouldn't have. Maybe we should take a cut out of their pensions to cover the veterans medical cost?
posted by brainofdtrain at 11:49 AM on March 26, 2009
True that but you must also mention that when there were 14 games in the NFL, most of the rules were different as well.
Thank you. They also didn't get anywhere near the level of medical care players get today. There are plenty of reasons to question the NFL's commitment to retired players' health, but I don't think a couple of more games is going to make much of a difference. I would also take issue with the idea pre-season games are more important to "undrafted or low-level free agents" than to anyone else.
posted by yerfatma at 11:56 AM on March 26, 2009
Maybe if they add more regular season games and Tom Brady gets injured during one of them they'll change it back to the way it was. Just kidding (a reference to the rules-change thread).
Seriously, I see this as a way to play a bunch more games all over the globe. I can envision a Sunday where every game is being played in stadiums all around the world. They'll probably give each team a bye week prior to this particular game so the NFL can suck up the publicity from cities everywhere on the planet for an extended period. Hey, if the league thinks there is money to be had, they'll change any damn thing they can.
posted by dyams at 06:02 PM on March 26, 2009
but I don't think a couple of more games is going to make much of a difference.
Well, other than the Lions get a few more games to lose per season. Said the proud Seahawks fan. OOFF!
posted by THX-1138 at 06:04 PM on March 26, 2009
Ouch. That was cold THX.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 06:27 PM on March 26, 2009
Tell you what, Commissioner Goodell. You take care of your beaten up and discarded aging veterans in a manner befitting the sacrifices they made for the game, then maybe we can talk about making the season longer for the current players.
I agree with this. Should be something the CBA mandates before they sign the agreement (retroactive for the old vets).
posted by bdaddy at 06:38 PM on March 26, 2009
Should be something the CBA mandates before they sign the agreement
Really? Would you refuse to sign a new contract at work until retired workers are fairly compensated? I'm all for the NFL peeling off a few dollars from its billion dollar flash wad, but I don't see how current players should be obligated to make it so.
posted by yerfatma at 08:13 PM on March 26, 2009
I'm all for the NFL peeling off a few dollars from its billion dollar flash wad, but I don't see how current players should be obligated to make it so.
Because they OWE those guys for getting them into the position they are now?
That has been the problem and why those old guys aren't getting fairly compensated...the current generation is only concerned about the current generation, and they elected a representative that only focused on THEIR needs and no eye to the past. I can see why they might feel that way growing up in the ME generation, but that doesn't make it right.
posted by bdaddy at 09:29 PM on March 26, 2009
Sorry, YYM. I tried to make it a glancing blow by grouping my own team in there, too.
posted by THX-1138 at 11:45 PM on March 26, 2009
That has been the problem and why those old guys aren't getting fairly compensated...the current generation is only concerned about the current generation
People have been saying that about every younger generation for as long as there have been kids not properly respecting their elders. The NFLPA is weak. It's not the fault of the current players or the past players. It's probably a result of the length of careers in the NFL and the size of rosters. You can blame it on the kids on your lawn if it makes you feel better, but it doesn't make it so. I have no idea how or why Gene Upshaw ever got elected head of the NFLPA, but I'd guess it was pretty political and wouldn't have happened if the majority of players had been in the union for more than a few years.
posted by yerfatma at 09:27 AM on March 27, 2009
As a fantasy football fanatic, I say.............18 is just right !!!!! I only wish it could be year round.
posted by wdminott at 08:20 PM on March 28, 2009
I think the NFL is making a mistake by lengthening the regular season. Every game they add makes each regular season game matter less.
posted by rcade at 09:17 PM on March 28, 2009
An NFL player only has so many games in him, and making him play more of them each season would be more taxing and would shorten careers.
There are all these retired guys with brain damage and unable to walk, etc. Many of them played 14 game seasons, not 16.
Tell you what, Commissioner Goodell. You take care of your beaten up and discarded aging veterans in a manner befitting the sacrifices they made for the game, then maybe we can talk about making the season longer for the current players.