Five Ways To Improve The NFL

[BFritz21]

I saw this list of five ways to improve the NFL, and they're at least interesting:

Quote:1. Seed playoffs based on overall records
Divisional winners do not necessarily deserve the top four seeds. Why should a team that managed to win a soft division automatically host a wild card playoff game against an opponent with more wins? What should matter more in seeding – having a record slightly above .500 or worse, along with the fortune of competing against three perceivably weaker teams, or having more wins in total?

And this is not a theoretical problem either. In 2002, the NFL split into four four-team divisions. Since then there has been a wild card tem with a better record that has played at a divisional champion in 13 of 15 seasons. The only times this did not occur is 2004 and ’06. In fact, in eight of the past 10 seasons two or more wild card teams have had a better record than the division champion they faced.

To address this disparity, I suggest the NFL model an approach similar to that which the NCAA uses for its postseason tournament. Champions of perceived weaker conferences are often seeded below at-large selections with superior records in the NCAA Tournament. This way, an NFL divisional champion is assured of an automatic berth in the playoffs, but not guaranteed one of the top four seeds. If a wild card team has a better record, that team should be seeded accordingly.

I've thought about that one, too, but then the problem comes in for the teams that play in a tougher division, like us, that might get in with a 9-7 record, and have the second place team be 9-7, but be better than a team that wins their weak division and has a 13-3 record. We'd be punished for playing a tougher schedule. It uses the NCAA tournament as an example, but that's done with the eye test, so, unless we want to have a group of people deciding playoff seeding, I don't think that that one works too well.

Quote:2. Schedule divisional games for every team over the final three weeks of the regular season
If the NFL wants to sustain interest among the fans of as many teams as possible through December, the league needs extend the drama of the playoff race. One obvious way is push half of everyone’s divisional games to the last three weeks. Playing those crucial games as late as possible is more likely to delay teams from being able to clinch divisional championships.

Therefore, a first-place team after Thanksgiving weekend could still be caught by one of those only a few games behind. If the divisional leader were to stumble in those final three regular season games, another in the division could sneak past the leader to claim the crown.

That could be interesting, but would the final three weeks just be teams beating the hell out of each other so much that it makes for weaker postseason games?

Quote:3. Change scheduling related to Thursday night games
Teams playing on Thursdays should have the weekend beforehand without a game. Football players need multiple days to both recuperate from the previous game and prepare for the next. Expecting a team to play on Sunday then play four days later is cruelly absurd. It is especially hard for the visiting team.

Also, there should be no Thursday night game in Weeks 2, 3, 17 or 18 (more on that in a moment). Every team will be able to play its required Thursday game during the other 14 weeks with three playing on Thanksgiving Day. To make this possible and to keep the regular season ending around the end of the calendar year, it will be necessary to start the season on Labor Day weekend with an additional week of regular season games. Which brings me too…

That one does seem smart since they're pushing for safety in the NFL. What no one ever talks about, though, is that players get extra days to rest following the game. I guess they get enough rest as-is, but this does seem like a logical move.

Quote:4. Give every team two bye weeks
This will be necessary partially due to giving the previous week off to those teams playing on Thursday. It would be grossly unfair to teams playing on Thursday night in September to have only one bye week and not having a break later in the season as most teams would have. This suggestion is not a new concept for the NFL since every team had two bye weeks during the 1993 season.

An exception would apply to those playing in the season opener. Every team finishes its final preseason game on a Thursday. Therefore, those playing in the regular season opener will have seven days between games anyway.

Additionally, the networks that broadcast games should love this idea. A second bye would add an extra week to the season. Therefore, they would have the additional revenue from sponsors for one more week. This move also allays pressure from the networks requesting more football to broadcast without actually adding more games to the 16-game schedule.

Once again, they're pushing for safety, and think about how much more money it would make for the owners and the league? It almost seems stupid NOT to do it. I wonder if they think that they should add a game at the start or the end of the season?

Quote:5. Pay a bonus to winners of every regular season game
What would motivate players to give an honest effort to win games despite having no chance at the postseason? What would keep players from claiming dubious injuries coinciding with their elimination from the playoff race? Simply put, money talks.

The NFL already pays players for participating in each postseason game, in effect, giving them a bonus for winning and advancing to the next round.

This reward would go to every player on the active roster of the victorious team. It would likely mean reducing base salaries. However, it would give a tangible incentive to players to continue to suit up when previously they only have pride on the line. The league needs to give them a reason to play and actually care about the outcome.

That's another interesting one, and I agree that it would help some players, but is it really fair? I guess they're not saying do it for the stars, and maybe only do it in the second half of the season, but I like the idea of finally making players earn what they're being paid for. The only problem comes in when players start refusing to go to shitty teams, but I guess those teams could give the players higher base salaries, plus a player is always playing as an audition for his next job.

Do you like any of those ideas?

[Sled21]

(05-29-2018, 10:10 AM)BFritz21 Wrote: I saw this list of five ways to improve the NFL, and they're at least interesting:


I've thought about that one, too, but then the problem comes in for the teams that play in a tougher division, like us, that might get in with a 9-7 record, and have the second place team be 9-7, but be better than a team that wins their weak division and has a 13-3 record.  We'd be punished for playing a tougher schedule.  It uses the NCAA tournament as an example, but that's done with the eye test, so, unless we want to have a group of people deciding playoff seeding, I don't think that that one works too well.


That could be interesting, but would the final three weeks just be teams beating the hell out of each other so much that it makes for weaker postseason games?  


That one does seem smart since they're pushing for safety in the NFL.  What no one ever talks about, though, is that players get extra days to rest following the game.  I guess they get enough rest as-is, but this does seem like a logical move.


Once again, they're pushing for safety, and think about how much more money it would make for the owners and the league?  It almost seems stupid NOT to do it.  I wonder if they think that they should add a game at the start or the end of the season?


That's another interesting one, and I agree that it would help some players, but is it really fair?  I guess they're not saying do it for the stars, and maybe only do it in the second half of the season, but I like the idea of finally making players earn what they're being paid for.  The only problem comes in when players start refusing to go to shitty teams, but I guess those teams could give the players higher base salaries, plus a player is always playing as an audition for his next job.

Do you like any of those ideas?

I think all seasons should open and close against the 3 Division opponents.

As to the last two points, giving an extra bye week and extending the season means renegotiating tv contracts, etc. Huge headaches for those involved. Not against it, but it would take a lot of work.

Paying extra bonus for season games? That's complete BS. Players are already paid salaries to perform throughout the season. If they are not motivated to win, no amount of money will change that. Besides, look how the Bengals closed out last season after they were eliminated from contention.

[*ochocincos*]

I think Thursday games should be moved. It was probably an effort to avoid putting games on Saturdays to overlap with college and Fridays to overlap with high school, but college now has games (and occasionally some pretty good matchups) on Thursdays and Fridays. Therefore, I'd like to see the Thursday game moved to Friday or Saturday, as I'd much rather watch a primetime NFL game on Friday or Saturday than watch another college game or especially a high school game.

I'm also in favor of having a better bye week schedule. Give a second bye week and/or have fewer eligible bye weeks. Having some teams have a bye week in Week 5 whereas others have to wait until Week 11 is crazy long. Just do weeks 7-10 with eight teams off each week or something like that. Given fantasy football seems to be driving so much of actual NFL these days anyways, I'm sure fantasy football players would prefer fewer weeks where they had to worry about bye week fill-ins.

[sandwedge]

(05-29-2018, 11:42 AM)ochocincos Wrote: I think Thursday games should be moved. It was probably an effort to avoid putting games on Saturdays to overlap with college and Fridays to overlap with high school, but college now has games (and occasionally some pretty good matchups) on Thursdays and Fridays. Therefore, I'd like to see the Thursday game moved to Friday or Saturday, as I'd much rather watch a primetime NFL game on Friday or Saturday than watch another college game or especially a high school game.

I'm also in favor of having a better bye week schedule. Give a second bye week and/or have fewer eligible bye weeks. Having some teams have a bye week in Week 5 whereas others have to wait until Week 11 is crazy long. Just do weeks 7-10 with eight teams off each week or something like that. Given fantasy football seems to be driving so much of actual NFL these days anyways, I'm sure fantasy football players would prefer fewer weeks where they had to worry about bye week fill-ins.

I'll be honest, Thursday night NFL really does nothing for me, unless we play. I might watch a few minutes here and there, but don't really care. Maybe it's over saturation, or as I have gotten older just realized there are plenty other things more important. I'd like to see just Sunday 10 AM and 1 PM games and the Monday Night game, they way it used to be. Heck even the MNF games are pretty boring most times.

[*Nately120*]

(05-29-2018, 10:10 AM)BFritz21 Wrote: That's another interesting one, and I agree that it would help some players, but is it really fair?  I guess they're not saying do it for the stars, and maybe only do it in the second half of the season, but I like the idea of finally making players earn what they're being paid for.

How much do you think NFL players should make, and why?  I don't mean to single you out specifically, but I just find this pervasive notion that the free-market has completely botched the wages of professional athletes to be intriguing.

[*ochocincos*]

(05-29-2018, 11:55 AM)sandwedge Wrote: I'll be honest, Thursday night NFL really does nothing for me, unless we play. I might watch a few minutes here and there, but don't really care. Maybe it's over saturation, or as I have gotten older just realized there are plenty other things more important. I'd like to see just Sunday 10 AM and 1 PM games and the Monday Night game, they way it used to be. Heck even the MNF games are pretty boring most times.

Agreed. I think though that the NFL wanted to have another primetime game slot but Thursday seems to be too early of a slot given teams have been playing just a few days beforehand. I would think a compromise would be move it out a day or two to give the participating teams an extra day or two between games.

[*bengalfan74*]

(05-29-2018, 11:55 AM)sandwedge Wrote: I'll be honest, Thursday night NFL really does nothing for me, unless we play. I might watch a few minutes here and there, but don't really care. Maybe it's over saturation, or as I have gotten older just realized there are plenty other things more important. I'd like to see just Sunday 10 AM and 1 PM games and the Monday Night game, they way it used to be. Heck even the MNF games are pretty boring most times.

Agree,

The NFL needs to get a grip and drop TNF ! It's way over saturation and the players hate it.

[SunsetBengal]

Short answers:

1. Nope, a team that wins their division should still rank higher than a wild card team that did not.

2. Sure, facing your division rivals would make the end of the season quite exciting.

3. Sure, the Thursday Night games have lost their novelty, it only serves to protect the players by allowing them adequate rest.

4. Nope, getting rid of the Thursday games will do more than adding an extra bye week.

5. Nope, they're already well paid. You want a bonus? Get your team to and win the big game.

[Bengalitis]

(05-29-2018, 12:42 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Agree,

The NFL needs to get a grip and drop TNF ! It's way over saturation and the players hate it.

TNF should be moved to FRIDAYS OR SATURDAYS. Thursdays are too far out of the weekend.   What better way to whine down the week than having your First NFL game of the week on a Friday night. In fact, if all the games are spread out from Fri to Mon. people will probably watch more Football or at least get to watch what they want to watch and plan accordingly.   :andy:

[Sled21]

The NFL may move to Saturday night, but they will never move to Friday night, simply because of High School football....

[*ochocincos*]

(05-29-2018, 02:13 PM)Sled21 Wrote: The NFL may move to Saturday night, but they will never move to Friday night, simply because of High School football....

There are that many people that care about high school football outside of the high school football players themselves or their family members?
I haven't cared to watch a high school football game since I graduated high school...NFL and college football are far more enjoyable to me.

[SunsetBengal]

(05-29-2018, 02:49 PM)ochocincos Wrote: There are that many people that care about high school football outside of the high school football players themselves or their family members?
I haven't cared to watch a high school football game since I graduated high school...NFL and college football are far more enjoyable to me.

In many of the smaller towns in America, HS football is in the fabric of the community.  

[Gohards]

(05-29-2018, 02:55 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: In many of the smaller towns in America, HS football is in the fabric of the community.  

you think that they wont move it to Friday due to HS football but would consider moving it to Saturday night, with the primetime college game on? LOL

[Sled21]

(05-29-2018, 02:49 PM)ochocincos Wrote: There are that many people that care about high school football outside of the high school football players themselves or their family members?
I haven't cared to watch a high school football game since I graduated high school...NFL and college football are far more enjoyable to me.

I take it you've never been to Texas......lol.

It's not a numbers thing, it is an "optics" thing. The NFL is fed by colleges, which are fed by High Schools. Traditionally, Friday night is for the High School games, Saturdays are for Colleges, and Sundays are for the Pros. Showing games on Friday nights just would not go over well in many parts of the country, as it would be seen as taking away from High School students and their "game of the weeks"....

[Sled21]

(05-29-2018, 03:23 PM)Gohards Wrote: you think that they wont move it to Friday due to HS football but would consider moving it to Saturday night, with the primetime college game on? LOL

I don't know that they would, but if they did I don't think the backlash would be as great as it would moving it to Friday night. Of course, that's just my opinion.....

[*ochocincos*]

(05-29-2018, 03:25 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I take it you've never been to Texas......lol.

It's not a numbers thing, it is an "optics" thing. The NFL is fed by colleges, which are fed by High Schools. Traditionally, Friday night is for the High School games, Saturdays are for Colleges, and Sundays are for the Pros. Showing games on Friday nights just would not go over well in many parts of the country, as it would be seen as taking away from High School students and their "game of the weeks"....

I have. Four days in Austin. That's it though.

As for the "optics", college now does games Thursday and Friday nights. If college can do this, NFL should be fine too, right?

[SunsetBengal]

(05-29-2018, 03:23 PM)Gohards Wrote: you think that they wont move it to Friday due to HS football but would consider moving it to Saturday night, with the primetime college game on? LOL

I never mentioned Saturday night games.  My response was to do away with Thursday night games.

[BFritz21]

(05-29-2018, 11:57 AM)Nately120 Wrote: How much do you think NFL players should make, and why?  I don't mean to single you out specifically, but I just find this pervasive notion that the free-market has completely botched the wages of professional athletes to be intriguing.

I don't know.  

Definitely a solid base salary but then I think that winning games should play a part in it, too.

The only problem with that is that players might stop going to bad teams, but maybe pay the top guys enough guaranteed and then have the mid-level guys getting paid bonuses for wins.

(05-29-2018, 02:55 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: In many of the smaller towns in America, HS football is in the fabric of the community.  

Plus, how many millions of fans would miss the game due to playing or having parents attending their games?

Might not be that bad on the East Coast because they could still get home and only maybe miss the start, but it still doesn't seem like it would work.

[fredtoast]

....High school football players are the target market for future NFL fans. Can't cut them out of the viewership.

...Thursday night games need to just go away. Players now have less than 100 hourse to recover and prepare after a Sunday game. That lowers the quality of the product.

...Expand the season to 17 games and have every team play one neutral site game. When I first came up with this idea I proposed that Las Vegas could have a game every week. Lots of fans could travel there cheaply to see the games. But now they have their own team.

...Remove a preseason game and add an extra bye week.

[PV Bengal]

(05-30-2018, 08:59 AM)fredtoast Wrote: ....High school football players are the target market for future NFL fans.  Can't cut them out of the viewership.

...Thursday night games need to just go away.  Players now have less than 100 hourse to recover and prepare after a Sunday game.  That lowers the quality of the product.

...Expand the season to 17 games and have every team play one neutral site game.  When I first came up with this idea I proposed that Las Vegas could have a game every week.  Lots of fans could travel there cheaply to see the games.  But now they have their own team.

...Remove a preseason game and add an extra bye week.

For the past 10 years or so, the first MNF game has been a "doubleheader", right?

Why not set up TNF games that way for the bulk of the season. As it is, 6 teams (3 games) are played on Thanksgiving Day. 

If there are 2 teams playing TNF in week 4 (with a week 3 bye), then there could be a 6-week stretch where the remainder of the "doubleheader" TNF games (weeks 5-10) would be played.

It ought to be easier to schedule anyway and the NFL could ensure that every team playing on TNF gets a "bye" the week before.