17 Game Reg Season?

[ramsanddodgers]

GOODELL TALKING ABOUT 17-GAME REGULAR SEASON
Posted by Josh Alper on May 20, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
In the course of a busy day at the owners meetings in Atlanta, Roger Goodell raised the possibility of adding a 17th regular season game to the schedule.

Home field in the extra game would alternate between conferences and would come at the expense of a preseason game. Goodell spoke of the lack of quality of the preseason contests and said “it would create new revenue. Our thought process was we might reduce preseason by a game in return for that. Actually, the players would still play the same number of games. It could give us an opportunity to play a higher quality of football.”

Sure 20 games is 20 games but when one of them comes with a fat TV deal, it’s not quite the same thing. Gene Upshaw wasn’t quite so bullish about the idea.

“Any discussion we’ve had with them about playing another game, they’ve always said, they would like to do it, but they don’t want to pay for it. They say, ‘Why should you be concerned, you get 60 percent?’ But we also get paid on games played. We’re not going to agree to play an extra game and not get paid for it. That’s what they want us to do. That discussion is going to be very short.”
When this issue came up last year, it was tied into the league’s desire to play more games outside the U.S. without taking the product away from home fans. There’s no such talk from Goodell this year and the timing of his announcement is curious. On the same day you opt out of the CBA because you don’t like the amount of revenues going toward the players, you float an idea that would, almost certainly, cause them to ask for more money in return.

They don't make enough money already? What happened to "I play it for the LOVE OF THE GAME"?

[Mooselini]

They don't make enough money already? What happened to "I play it for the LOVE OF THE GAME"?

Thats true. Not only that, with this stupid thing going on with the salary cap, there will be a lock out. They need as much money as they can rack in.

I think having one game extra would be nice for us fans. But it doesn't bother me, I don't like the way the playoffs are played. If anything fix that Goodell...

[ramsanddodgers]

I guess they don't get paid for pre-season games. Maybe this is why they don't play in them?

This would mean a $16M contract pays them $1M per game for 16 reg season games. They would only get $941,176.47 per game if they didn't get a raise to cover that 17th game.

[laram0]

I would love to see the regular season extended to 17 games. Why not just extend it to 18??

[jkramsfan]

I would love to see the regular season extended to 17 games. Why not just extend it to 18??

I agree, 2 preseason games and 18 regular season,had this been done last season we would have been 3-15 and had 2 more guys on injured reserve,Bulger could have rolled his eyes a second time and Holt could have actually punched Linehan on the sidelines.

[txramsfan]

They don't make enough money already? What happened to "I play it for the LOVE OF THE GAME"?

Sort of went out of style like the rotary phone, AMC Pacer, and Schlitz Beer.

[moklerman]

It seems to me that the 1st and 4th preseason games are frivolous already so I have no problem extending the regular season to 17 games. As far as the players and the money they "need", screw them. I understand that NFL careers are short but even if they played only 1 season they are going to make more than most of us will ever dream of.

[rampower]

I do think that football players earn too much money. But I still buy tickets to games, jerseys, international nfl yahoo gamepasses, watch it live on tv, etc.

The reason they earn so much money is that we, the fans, one way or another, pay them. I'll Admit, I aint stopping watchin soon.

[Goldenfleece]

More ticket sales means more money to go around, and under the current agreement, the players are guaranteed 60% of revenues will go to salaries. So I don't really see how Upshaw's statement has any truth to it.

I don't really think the players earn too much because if the money didn't go to them, it would just go into the owners' pockets. I'm fine with the 60/40 split, but I think the union needs to wake up and realize it is going to have to give in a little bit to keep things this way. This is an easy thing for them to relent on. So is the rookie contract issue since it is in the interests of the veterans to get that changed anyway. Think about it. $110 million salary cap, and you give a guy like Matt Ryan, Jake Long (or presumably Chris Long) $11 million/year. That's about a tenth of your cap going to a guy who has yet to do anything for the team.

[ramsanddodgers]

Sort of went out of style like the rotary phone, AMC Pacer, and Schlitz Beer.

Pacers are out of style? Good thing I sold mine then...