LOL NFL

[dcm1602]

As valid as the argument for 17 games.

With 17 games you can make stronger arguments about player safety, diminished product, injuries etc.

The downside of this is much less

[dcm1602]

Never plan on going to a marquee matchup after the “flex” date for Thursday games.

Again first and foremost this is an issue for people attending the games, but benefits the rest.

For context the 2nd highest attended nfl team last year (which I think was the freaking jets?) averages just under 70,000 attendees. The highest watched regular season game was over 40 million, the average nfl game had 17 million viewers.

You clearly need to cater to the home viewers not the in person.

But I do think it's reasonable and capable for the nfl to use their brain.

Maybe make half of a teams home games not flexible to Thursday night football, and have that information published upon release of the nfl schedule. Plus surely there will be contractual dick wagging where networks won't want to give up every single good game.

I don't think the goal needs to be having the best game of every week on TNF. I just think the goal needs to be minimizing excrement like having the colts 4th string QB going against the Panthers 5th string QB and this excrement being the only TNF game of the week

[Libero_2]

Again first and foremost this is an issue for people attending the games, but benefits the rest.

For context the 2nd highest attended nfl team last year (which I think was the freaking jets?) averages just under 70,000 attendees. The highest watched regular season game was over 40 million, the average nfl game had 17 million viewers.

You clearly need to cater to the home viewers not the in person.

But I do think it's reasonable and capable for the nfl to use their brain.

Maybe make half of a teams home games not flexible to Thursday night football, and have that information published upon release of the nfl schedule. Plus surely there will be contractual dick wagging where networks won't want to give up every single good game.

I don't think the goal needs to be having the best game of every week on TNF. I just think the goal needs to be minimizing excrement like having the colts 4th string QB going against the Panthers 5th string QB and this excrement being the only TNF game of the week

The point is those 70,000 loyal fans are buying tickets and that is NOT an insignificant amount of revenue. How much money do they have to “give back” to those fans since they can no longer attend the event that was previously scheduled? How many tickets sales are ultimately lost and not able to be resold when that game is rescheduled with ten days lead time?

Owners aren’t just giving up ticket sales, but also parking, beer, food, merchandise sales. In stadium sponsorships aren’t worth as much if there isn’t a full house etc. that’s money directly out of ownership pockets.

Do the owners still make more money in tv stuff? Of course. But why give up money when you don’t have to? Sure it might suck to have Chris Strevler getting big minutes in a Thursday night game. But the NFL is still making money hand over fist for those prime time games.

[dcm1602]

The point is those 70,000 loyal fans are buying tickets and that is NOT an insignificant amount of revenue. How much money do they have to “give back” to those fans since they can no longer attend the event that was previously scheduled? How many tickets sales are ultimately lost and not able to be resold when that game is rescheduled with ten days lead time?

Owners aren’t just giving up ticket sales, but also parking, beer, food, merchandise sales. In stadium sponsorships aren’t worth as much if there isn’t a full house etc. that’s money directly out of ownership pockets.

Do the owners still make more money in tv stuff? Of course. But why give up money when you don’t have to? Sure it might suck to have Chris Strevler getting big minutes in a Thursday night game. But the NFL is still making money hand over fist for those prime time games.

I think this is why you ultimately have a compromise where only half of home games are flexible (or some other permutation)

I think in most major markets where you have 10s of millions of people within a few hours of the stadium, that you can easily fill most of those seats. Especially since again were talking about flexing some of the best games of the week.

[dcm1602]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nfl.com/_amp/peacock-becomes-home-of-first-ever-exclusive-live-streamed-nfl-playoff-game

NFL making it increasingly difficult for fans to watch a damn game

[reuben]

NFL owners passed a vote to allow Thursday Night Football flex scheduling.

Thursday Night Football had been the only primetime spot not subject to flex scheduling late in the season. The passed vote allows the league to manipulate all primetime games late in the season, effectively removing the potential for poor matchups. It seems like another money grab idea predicated on satiating the paying broadcast companies after Amazon purchased the rights to Thursday Night Football for $1 billion this season. While there are strict rules in place as to which teams can flex into the Thursday Night Football game, the new rule could be viewed as detrimental to the competitive integrity of the game, particularly considering the increased magnitude of late season games.

Assholes.

[Badger]

The 17 game NFL strikes again

[Johnny English]

The 17 game NFL strikes again

"Stop making football less convenient" is a very different argument to "waaaah I don't want more football".

[Libero_2]

Assholes.

I would never plan a road trip to a game in the flex window of weeks then.

Thursday night games usually suck as is for tons of reasons, this is just going to make more important games less fun to watch.

[CatoTheElder]

The only way they stop pulling this excrement is if fans stop watching.

[Johnny English]

Apparently the TNF flex rules are that it can only be done twice a season, can only happen in weeks 13-17, and has to be done at least 28 days in advance. So it's still dumb but not quite as dumb as it might have been - Rapoport thinks that it probably won't happen at all.

[AlioTheFool]

They changed the fair catch on a kickoff rule. If a kickoff is fair caught outside the end zone, but less than the 25-yard line, the possession will start at the 25, rather than the spot of the fair catch.

Why even bother kicking off anymore? Just put the ball at the 25 immediately after the FG/PAT and be done with it.

[dcm1602]

They changed the fair catch on a kickoff rule. If a kickoff is fair caught outside the end zone, but less than the 25-yard line, the possession will start at the 25, rather than the spot of the fair catch.

Why even bother kicking off anymore? Just put the ball at the 25 immediately after the FG/PAT and be done with it.

I feel like this has potential for abuse

There's been several times where you've seen smart kick returners put their foot out of bounds and field a kickoff so it counts as an illegal procedure.

To me this rule change seems like it could  encourage teams to call fair catches inside the 25 while trying to draw an illegal procedure flag. As now the downside isn't being pinned wherever, but starting at the 25

[AlioTheFool]

I feel like this has potential for abuse

There's been several times where you've seen smart kick returners put their foot out of bounds and field a kickoff so it counts as an illegal procedure.

To me this rule change seems like it could  encourage teams to call fair catches inside the 25 while trying to draw an illegal procedure flag. As now the downside isn't being pinned wherever, but starting at the 25

That might be pushing it. The intent of the rule is to reduce the number of returns where the player is running, and therefore getting tackled. They're trying to reduce concussions, which is a noble cause.

I just think that at this point, just get rid of the kicks altogether.

[dcm1602]

That might be pushing it. The intent of the rule is to reduce the number of returns where the player is running, and therefore getting tackled. They're trying to reduce concussions, which is a noble cause.

I just think that at this point, just get rid of the kicks altogether.

I'm not saying good or bad, I understand the goal

But I do see this as an opportunity for smart teams depending on how it's implemented