No one wants to be in an advantagous position because of this because it puts an asterisk on their success.

Best possible solution? No-contest or tie game. But if both teams meet in the playoffs, then Buffalo MUST come to Cincy regardless of seeding.

This solution screws the Cheifs. But they lost to the Bills AND Bengals. **** em.

(01-03-2023, 12:03 PM)NotBigzo Wrote: The closest precedent we have to this is the NBA bubble season in 2020.

What did they do?

NFL was prepared to have No Contest in 2020 and determine seeding based on Win % instead   (due to possible pandemic missed games)  

So they could use that method. but i think cheifs would still take the #1 seed.

13/16 = .81
12/15 = .8

(01-03-2023, 11:55 AM)TheCincinnatiKid Wrote: Doesn't Buffalo control the #1 seed prior to their game with us?

Fully agree with the 2nd part in any case. 

I stand corrected, I thought KC beat Buffalo, but it is the other way. TY for clarifying.

(01-03-2023, 10:44 AM)Sled21 Wrote: And you don't think KC will have anything to say about the league just giving the Bills the #1 seeding? I think people do not realize the money involved in these things. 

That and Cincy may very well have won, in which case KC would be back to #1.  So many moving parts here.

This is probably a very, very unpopular take and for that I apologize, but the Bills should have stayed in Cincy and the game should have been resumed tonight.  

Sometimes life sucks and you have to put on your big boy pants.  This is much, much bigger than the Bengals, Bills and Hamlin.

And yes, I have had multiple, very crappy situations happen in my life and every time I had to suck it up and keep going.  

 

I don't see how either team resumes play within the week. That's asking a lot of those players.

I think a lot hinges on how Damar Hamlin fares over the next two days. If things go positively, perhaps play can be resumed this week. Any other circumstance would cast a very dark cloud over this game if/when it's resumed.

Ideally, the league would suspend play for a week. This could allow the Bengals and Bills to possibly complete their game from Monday without forcing a short week for either team. It would also provide other teams with a week off, which most teams with playoff hopes would likely benefit from.

This also seems impossible, as it would force the league to push Super Bowl week back or subtract the week off before the championship. That's a lot of moving pieces, but the league has faced far more challenging scheduling adjustments both during the pandemic and 9/11.

I don't think any contending team wants to be viewed as benefiting from this tragic incident in even a small way.

(01-03-2023, 10:44 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: Well, there potentially is. It depends on the camera crews and whatnot. If they left the equipment up or tore it down, even partially. I’ve done some contracting for ESPN and game day set up takes multiple days. They’d have to go through and find new employees to work the sidelines as well. I would guess if they flew back in, it would be a next day arrangement u less they have left everything up. It just depends.

Good points.  Didn't think about that.  So many moving pieces.

Knock it off. The league has the power to move the entire season up a week if they so wish. Will it cost them a buttload of money in scheduling and rescheduling costs? You bet, but it's not AS IF the league is strapped for cash and on the verge of insolvency .. It's a multi billion dollar enterprise. They could move the entire season up till baseball's opening day if they really wanted to and there wouldn't be much anyone could do about it other than sue for compensation.. 
Just resume where they left off.. 

(01-03-2023, 10:24 AM)Tomkat Wrote: It should NOT be declared a "tie," nor a "win" for the Bengals, since they were leading.
I also think is should NOT be declared a "no contest" and started over at some later date.

IF resumed, it should be resumed at the exact point it was postponed.  Down, distance, position of field, time on clock... everything can be reset to that point... similar to how delayed baseball games are resumed after weather delay.  All that stuff is known, just re-start from there.

Have everyone kneel to honor Hamlin (regardless of ultimately what happens with his condition), let the Bengals take a delay of game penalty before the first snap (which the Bills decline, of course) then play on.

I don't think there's any way to just wipe the game off the schedule.  The NFL will go on playing, and there's 30 other teams that will do so, this weekend.

1000% agree. that is THE ONLY WAY to be fair   
They should try and get it set for Thursday.
thoughts and prayers for Hamlin...

(01-03-2023, 11:31 AM)BengalsLUFC Wrote: After sleeping in it and getting over the shock of the initial injury, it’s going to sound horrible but they have to find a way to finish the game.

It’s happened plenty of times in “soccer” several players have died on the pitch and even more have collapsed and the games completed.

Thoughts with Hamlin obviously and we are all praying he pulls through but life goes on people went to work after 9/11,guys  in warehouses and factories had to go to work during covid.

It’s what the guys are paid to do it may only be a sport but it’s also a very highly paid profession.

I agree.

(01-03-2023, 10:57 AM)leonardfan40 Wrote: I know everyone likes to bash the NFL, but there is no perfectly “fair” solution to this situation. Somebody, likely multiple teams, will be getting the short end of the stick no matter what the final decision is.

Hopefully, fans of all teams, can accept what the Bills/Bengals/NFL and NFLPA come together and agree to.

If we make it up we play on a very short week. If we tie, both teams miss out on a shot at the one seed. If we forfeited to be nice, we have to play for the division win next week after an emotional and whirlwind week. If Bills forfeit we are sticking them with an undeserved loss just because one of their players nearly died. If nfl pushes back the playoffs and we play the bills week 19, everyone else gets a bye week before the playoffs.

The “fairest” solution imo (which will never happen because it would be nearly impossible to do logistically with this many stadiums/teams/fans/crews) would be to have the Bengals and bills play next weekend, and have the entire final week of the nfl season and playoffs all pushed back one week. Then the only thing the bengals/bills lose out on is a bye week before week 18 games when we already have playoff spots locked up. It’ll never happen, but that would be the “ideal scenario” and even it has flaws.

I feel the NFL is only to make this a no contest and the Bills and Bengals will have one less w/l record to calculate % for division and conference records 

(01-03-2023, 10:42 AM)XenoMorph Wrote: I just dont see how they can make up this game. Or finish it with no time left without putting player safety back in the Spotlight for putting them on an extreme short week.

So if both teams agree i think a Tie is the best route.. Unless the Bills concede the contest.

there just isn't any time left to flex this game elsewhere without completely disrupting playoff schedules.

*Refund the tickets to the Game* or allow them to be exchanged for a contest next year

Obviously,there are a lot of options here,and the League needs to seriously consider each and every one of them.
I wouldn’t be to hasty,if I were them,in making a decision just yet,as I would be anticipating more updates on Damar Hamlin.
Keep in mind,that that there are millions of people watching the League’s every move on this,so they have to be careful how they handle this.
Right now the most important thing is the health of Damar Hamlin,and to resolve this situation in such a way as to be fair to both the Bengals,and Bill’s as it is out of their control.

At my hotel last night, one of the game officials was also staying the night and I had a chance to speak with him in the lobby and elevator. He said the game will be declared a NO Contest event and the NFL will look at winning percentage to determine seeding. So Cincinnati and Buffalo will have 16-games under their belts to finish the season. He said there is a rule for this if a game is canceled and cannot be replayed.

I also asked him if he’s ever experienced anything like this, he said, No, I’ve never seen anything like this in regards to not finishing the game.

Hate to seem harsh, but there are still more than enough fans (remember fanatics?) who think the game should have just continued and they're making a big deal out of nothing.
I'm somewhere in the middle myself. I very seldom get weepy eyed over injuries even to myself for that matter and I darn sure don't get all pious and prayish.. 

(01-03-2023, 12:51 PM)BIGDADDYFROMCINCINNATI Wrote: At my hotel last night, one of the game officials was also staying the night and I had a chance to speak with him in the lobby and elevator.  He said the game will be declared a NO Contest event and the NFL will look at winning percentage to determine seeding. So Cincinnati and Buffalo will have 16-games under their belts to finish the season. He said there is a rule for this if a game is canceled and cannot be replayed.  

I also asked him if he’s ever experienced anything like this, he said, No, I’ve never seen anything like this in regards to not finishing the game.

Probably the same official who said "5 minutes"  This was set to be one of the most watched MNF games between the arguably the two best teams in the AFC. They may call it a no contest, but I can't really see the league giving up the revenue from this game when they can reschedule it.

The game should be played Wednesday, pickup up exactly where they left off. Bengals and bills week 18 game should be pushed to Monday. It’s the best solution. It’s not perfect, but it messes with the schedule and the integrity of the league/game the least.

The nfl can’t wait to play this game until they know how Hamlin is doing. Chances are we won’t truly know for a long time. It’s extremely sad and devastating what happened, but like others have said, the other 30 teams are playing next weekend. The show goes on.

(01-03-2023, 01:02 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Probably the same official who said "5 minutes"  This was set to be one of the most watched MNF games between the arguably the two best teams in the AFC. They may call it a no contest, but I can't really see the league giving up the revenue from this game when they can reschedule it.

If was early in the year and we still had a bye week, then I’d agree, but there simply isn’t enough time. What we play Thursday night and play the Ravens Monday?

I agree with the above poster, and sorry if sounding harsh, but after the injured player was driven off to UC hospital, then the game should have resumed. Million of dollars, people taking off work to travel, buying hotels. The Show Must Go On!

I also felt bad for the 10-year old boy and his father who drove all the way from Lincoln, Nebraska. The Bengals are the 10-yr olds favorite team and this was his first NFL game, and it’s a shame they’re driving half way across the country to have this experience..

The league can move everything up a few days. It'll cost them a ton of money, but the NFL is all about profit. If there were natural disasters in several cities at once this time of year they wouldn't just cancel all the games and pretend it never happened.

(01-03-2023, 12:51 PM)BIGDADDYFROMCINCINNATI Wrote: At my hotel last night, one of the game officials was also staying the night and I had a chance to speak with him in the lobby and elevator.  He said the game will be declared a NO Contest event and the NFL will look at winning percentage to determine seeding. So Cincinnati and Buffalo will have 16-games under their belts to finish the season. He said there is a rule for this if a game is canceled and cannot be replayed.  

I also asked him if he’s ever experienced anything like this, he said, No, I’ve never seen anything like this in regards to not finishing the game.

With all due respect to the official, he has absolutely no say in what will happen to the game going forward. He is speculating just like the rest of us. 

(01-03-2023, 12:57 PM)grampahol Wrote: Hate to seem harsh, but there are still more than enough fans (remember fanatics?) who think the game should have just continued and they're making a big deal out of nothing.
I'm somewhere in the middle myself. I very seldom get weepy eyed over injuries even to myself for that matter and I darn sure don't get all pious and prayish.. 

Ditto. Play the damn game.

(01-03-2023, 01:12 PM)BIGDADDYFROMCINCINNATI Wrote: If was early in the year and we still had a bye week, then I’d agree, but there simply isn’t enough time.  What we play Thursday night and play the Ravens Monday?  

I agree with the above poster, and sorry if sounding harsh, but after the injured player was driven off to UC hospital, then the game should have resumed.  Million of dollars, people taking off work to travel, buying hotels.  The Show Must Go On!

I also felt bad for the 10-year old boy and his father who drove all the way from Lincoln, Nebraska.  The Bengals are the 10-yr olds favorite team and this was his first NFL game, and it’s a shame they’re driving half way across the country to have this experience..

I disagree 100% with this. Those players literally just watched one of their teammates and friend legally die on the field and had to have been brought back to life. No way I am in any shape to play football 10 minutes later. 

Postponing the game was the right call. They still need to finish it, though.