The future of the NFL, or deep thoughts by Paul Tagliaboo

[moochman]

NFL wants later times, dates
By Rudy Martzke, USA TODAY

"Other proposals the NFL has floated to the networks:

• Move back starting times for Sunday afternoon games on Fox and CBS an hour to 2 and 5 p.m. ET. A similar move in playoff games has resulted in higher ratings. CBS would probably be against the plan because it would further delay "60 Minutes," the network's highly successful news program.

• Drop the AFC/NFC delineations on Sunday afternoon games. Fox and CBS would alternately choose games when the schedule is determined in April.

• Move back the start of the season one to two weeks, with the goal of moving some of the playoffs into the February TV ratings sweeps period.

• Move ABC's Monday Night Football to Thursday. That probably won't happen as MNF's ratings improved last year and NBC and CBS have traditionally had stronger counter programming on Thursday.

• Add a fifth TV package of games, possibly on Thursday nights. TNT, HBO and Fox/Comcast figure to be interested in a new package that might be valued at $500 million to $800 million a year. If the NFL obtains 3% to 5% increases in the present packages, it likely would not pursue an extra TV partner."

I'm okay with moving the second game to a 5pm start, but would like the 1st game kept at 1. Can't stand the thought of waiting another hour for the games to start, plus the idea of the extra hour of pregame shows...insert retching sounds here.
Love the thought of the networks picking the best matchups regardless of the divisions, especially if they do away with the local team angle. If it's not my home team I could manage to live without more of those epic Bear/Cards games.
Don't see the Moday games going anywhere, and don't really want a weekly slate of Thursday games. Could see it happen and fear it would water down the product.
What do you guys think?

[The Sandwich]

How about adding a second bye week for each team and extending the season into Feb that way?

As always I would like to put in a vote for skimpier outfits on the cheerleaders.

[Sakrafyce]

Im all for 20 week seasons w/ 2 bye weeks!! lol, Propose that!!

Probably will never happen though :(

[Go Vikes]

How about 20 weeks with 2 byes and then they get a couple more expansion teams and have more get into the playoffs.

[PHI]

• Move back starting times for Sunday afternoon games on Fox and CBS an hour to 2 and 5 p.m. ET. A similar move in playoff games has resulted in higher ratings. CBS would probably be against the plan because it would further delay "60 Minutes," the network's highly successful news program.

I'm not crazy about this idea. It's hard enough for me to wait for the games to start as it is. But it does make some since for those on the west coast. As you stated, I would also be OK with moving the second game to 5 pm.

• Drop the AFC/NFC delineations on Sunday afternoon games. Fox and CBS would alternately choose games when the schedule is determined in April.

This would be OK. Should be able to ensure better games on each week for both networks.

• Move back the start of the season one to two weeks, with the goal of moving some of the playoffs into the February TV ratings sweeps period.

Again, I'm not crazy about this idea. Not only do you want me to have to wait another hour each Sunday, but you want me to wait another week or two before the first game even comes on?????
Will you pay for my hospital stay during that time while I'm having withdrawals?

• Move ABC's Monday Night Football to Thursday. That probably won't happen as MNF's ratings improved last year and NBC and CBS have traditionally had stronger counter programming on Thursday.

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!! I don't really like the Thursday games much anyway except on Thanksgivings Day. I definitely don't want to see them every week. Sunday night games are good, Monday night games are great. The only other night I think would be OK would be Saturday night. Though, it doesn't seem that likely to happen.

• Add a fifth TV package of games, possibly on Thursday nights. TNT, HBO and Fox/Comcast figure to be interested in a new package that might be valued at $500 million to $800 million a year. If the NFL obtains 3% to 5% increases in the present packages, it likely would not pursue an extra TV partner."

While I'm not opposed to another network showing games (as long as I have access to that channel), I don't want to see a Thursday night only package.


Also, I'd heard the NFL mention before about scheduling two Monday night games each week to let ABC have a choice. ABC would choose a few weeks ahead which game they would want to show, then the other game would be moved back to sometime Sunday. Or something to that effect.
I wouldn't mind this either.


PHI

[SeaWolf]

My number one grip, is bye weeks. I know the union would never aprove it, but expand the season by two weeks, and remove the bye weeks. The bye week durring the season, IMO, is useless. I also hate the two week wait between the Championship Games and the Super Bowl.

I live on the west coast, 10am starts for the early games are ok with me, but I won't want the late games moved back any father. As it is for me, when I attend a Seahawks game I don't get home until 6:30pm as is.

I'm unsure about Thursday games. I know I would not want to be in a fantasy league, were lineups need to be in prior to the start of the first game. I can handle one or two times a year, but EVERY WEEK!

For those of us who don't have Direct TV, I would like Sunday Ticket to be available for any satilite/cable subscriber.

I think that's it for now.

[Free Bagel]

Getting rid of the AFC/NFC thing for networks won't help at all with getting better games. Crappy games on TV are a result of local coverage, not the AFC/NFC stuff.

I get Jags/Texans and Bucs/Lions all mathematically eliminated from the playoffs instead of Broncos/Chiefs and Rams/Eagles....

Get rid of the local nonsense...

[moochman]

They'll never do away with the home team games,nor should they. The Lions are a ratings winner even while losing at a prolific rate. But the second game being a regional team is out dated. Note to the NFL: this isn't your daddy's fan base anymore. We want to watch the best game.

[KingGhidra]

• Move back starting times for Sunday afternoon games on Fox and CBS an hour to 2 and 5 p.m. ET. A similar move in playoff games has resulted in higher ratings. CBS would probably be against the plan because it would further delay "60 Minutes," the network's highly successful news program.

Moving the 2nd game to 5 pm would be wonderful. Stations wouldn't be bound by NFL rules to switch to the afternoon game when an exciting overtime is being played in the early game. Screw 60 Minutes.

• Drop the AFC/NFC delineations on Sunday afternoon games. Fox and CBS would alternately choose games when the schedule is determined in April.

Yes please. Just show the best games on TV. Stop showing me Giants and Jets games just because I live in south Jersey. Show me the BEST game on TV when the Eagles aren't on.

• Move back the start of the season one to two weeks, with the goal of moving some of the playoffs into the February TV ratings sweeps period.

Stupid.

• Move ABC's Monday Night Football to Thursday. That probably won't happen as MNF's ratings improved last year and NBC and CBS have traditionally had stronger counter programming on Thursday.

Bad idea. No team is gonna want to play a Sunday game then go on the road Thursday night. The only way that would be fair is to have both Thursday night teams have a bye the week before. Since byes end in week 10, it won't be fair.

• Add a fifth TV package of games, possibly on Thursday nights. TNT, HBO and Fox/Comcast figure to be interested in a new package that might be valued at $500 million to $800 million a year. If the NFL obtains 3% to 5% increases in the present packages, it likely would not pursue an extra TV partner."

See my comments above. I wouldn't mind a 5th package of games that was on SATURDAY. Just not on HBO, because that's a premium cable channel.

[NittanyLions]

i wouldnt mind the idea of thursday night football. i like the gametimes as they are now, when the 4:00 games end it gives me time to eat and see recaps of all the games. i dont mind the end date but im not sure id like 2 byes. and go vikes: the NFL already has 32 teams and i think thats the most. the probably dont want to add more. plus, its not easy forming an expansion team and its complicated and pricey at times. you have to find a city for it that wants a team too. theres only one city that sticks out to me that could use a team and thats LA.