Increasing the # of Regular Season games

[Baglady]

Thoughts on increasing the reg season to 18 games and reducing the preseason to 2 games?

Owners like it since fans complain about paying full season tic prices to watch back ups. Roster # would have to increase to maybe 60 so the salary cap would have to correspondingly increase.

HC's don't like it as they feel they need the preseason games to make personnel decisions.

Players don't like it due to the risk of injury to key players.

Fans seem to be the ones wanting it the most although it would probably increase revenue for owners and they seem to like that - lol!

Start the reg season a wk earlier (Labor Day w/e) and add a wk in Jan???
Don't think we'll see it anytime soon.

[Emeritus]

There are points to be made for and against the extension of the regular season. One argument that I've heard the coaches make is that every time that the season has been lengthened, the injuries have gone up dramatically. They say that winning the Super Bowl is already as much about being lucky in avoiding injuries as it is about having the better team and that extending the season will shift the balance in favor of injuries. It would be a shame if clearly superior teams didn't make it because they played a tough schedule and had a lot of injuries. Personally, I look forward to the preseason games, to see if my team has improved itself during the off season. Of course, that's just one side of the question.

[cklaurence]

I for one HAte paying full price for pre-season football. Yes, during pre-season you get to watch as some players who were thought of as "filler," rise up and perform incredibly well; yet, the big downside is they hold back on premium players, and many of the mid-range players (who know their place on the team is guaranteed) dawg it. You just don't see the same level of play for the most part!

I don't think the injuries will rise so much when they are still playing the same number of games. As a matter of fact, it seems as though some of the most serious injuries come in those first four pre-season games because of players trying to be "seen," so it might even improve the injury situation by changing the dynamics--two preseason games and the rest for-real games...

[16Forever]

My mind says keep it status quo. My heart says dump 2 preseason games and add two real ones because as we all know the football withdrawl after the season is traumatic. Two extra games would ease that pain.

[LadyHawk]

I think realistically it should stay the same ... EXCEPT they should cut the ticket prices for the pre-season games. C'mon...they're a SCRIMMAGE for heaven's sake!! You aren't seeing the star players out on the field and the games don't even count. Paying full price for a scrimmage is ripping off the fans - the CUSTOMERS.

[Emeritus]

LH's proposal sounds the most reasonable to me. The problem is that teams are already charging fans to see scrimmages. It seems to me that they would attract more new fans if they would have opportunities for fans to meet the players without charging them for it. But I guess that they have to pay for those new stadiums.

[16Forever]

The only thing more repulsive besides full prices for pre-season games is Danny Snyder charging admission to see practices at training camp.

[Emeritus]

Snyder and Jerry Jones own the most lucrative franchises in the NFL and both squeeze every dime that they can out of the fans. They are also the worst meddlers in the business.

[LadyHawk]

Snyder and Jerry Jones own the most lucrative franchises in the NFL and both squeeze every dime that they can out of the fans. They are also the worst meddlers in the business.

They're in show business, not "free business." Out to make a buck. Period.

[Baglady]

Snyder really charges admission to training camp - wow! Doesn't surprise me though... Yep, agreed both Jones and Snyder are in the "entertainment" BUSINESS to earn as much $$$$ as fans will hand over.
Only had to pay $10 for parking at Colts camp last summer and Irsay held a FREE (as in no admission fee) open house and practice session at Lucas Oil Stadium a couple of weeks ago. He sure has evolved into a far better owner than his %&*#@* father, Bob....

Sounds like we all agree the problem seems to be paying full price for a 'scrimmage' (accurate descripton for a preseason game) w/ back up players in a game that doesn't count.

[cklaurence]

The only thing more repulsive besides full prices for pre-season games is Danny Snyder charging admission to see practices at training camp.

He actually charges to see practices?????

[cklaurence]

Snyder really charges admission to training camp - wow! Doesn't surprise me though... Yep, agreed both Jones and Snyder are in the "entertainment" BUSINESS to earn as much $$$$ as fans will hand over.
Only had to pay $10 for parking at Colts camp last summer and Irsay held a FREE (as in no admission fee) open house and practice session at Lucas Oil Stadium a couple of weeks ago. He sure has evolved into a far better owner than his %&*#@* father, Bob....

Sounds like we all agree the problem seems to be paying full price for a 'scrimmage' (accurate descripton for a preseason game) w/ back up players in a game that doesn't count.

OOOOOOO, Baglady cursed...

[16Forever]

The only thing more repulsive besides full prices for pre-season games is Danny Snyder charging admission to see practices at training camp.

He actually charges to see practices?????

Yes CK he does charge admission plus a parking fee.

[cklaurence]

Well if I were a fan of that team, I would be organizing a boycott against going to practice... The Players strike; the owners strike; the referees strike--why shouldn't the fans start standing up and say ENOUGH.

I think it is disgusting that they charge a fee for fans of some teams to just have the privilege of buying season tickets. I swear, if the Dolphin owner (du jour) decided to charge a fee for the privilege of paying nearly $100. a seat for season tickets, I would drop my tickets. Truly, there's no one I know that loves football more than I do, but at one point, you just have to say NO!

[tenn10]

hmmmm...interesting discussion
just my opinion, but I would like for them to drop 2 pre-season games and pick up two more playoff teams at the end of the season. Have 4 wildcard teams from each conference instead of just two. There is always a few good teams every year that are just 1 win away from making it to the playoffs. Look at how many of those lower seeds that have actually done well the last few years. The Steelers for one come to mind. The Jets last year made it to the AFCCG. That would make a total of 16 teams in the playoffs......half the league. Alot more fans would be happy come January

[LadyHawk]

Well if I were a fan of that team, I would be organizing a boycott against going to practice... The Players strike; the owners strike; the referees strike--why shouldn't the fans start standing up and say ENOUGH.

I think it is disgusting that they charge a fee for fans of some teams to just have the privilege of buying season tickets. I swear, if the Dolphin owner (du jour) decided to charge a fee for the privilege of paying nearly $100. a seat for season tickets, I would drop my tickets. Truly, there's no one I know that loves football more than I do, but at one point, you just have to say NO!

Did you see how much Lakers' tickets were going for during the finals? For 4 courtside ON THE FLOOR seats for the final game - $81,000 per ticket. That's right. And people pay that!! So as long as the RICH PEOPLE keep paying the astronomical rates, the owners, et al. will keep charging it and getting richer.

Attending pro sports in person will eventually only be accessible to the very wealthy... millionaires watching millionaires playing ball. *Yawn*

[Emeritus]

I can't remember how much Cowboys fans have to pay for the privilege of buying season tickets at Jerry's new palace, but the figure was astronomical. Then you get to pay concession costs so high that they should be wearing masks when they take your money. I can't remember how many suites the new stadium holds, but they take up most of the good viewing angles. The corporations are willing to pay the exorbitant fees, and the regular fans get squeezed out. That how they can build stadiums at one point two billion a pop.

[Emeritus]

I forgot to mention one of my favorite facts about the new Cowboys stadium. A plain pizza costs $90. I was unable to learn what each topping costs, though.

[LadyHawk]

I forgot to mention one of my favorite facts about the new Cowboys stadium. A plain pizza costs $90. I was unable to learn what each topping costs, though.

$90?? Who's running that place? Ticketmaster?

[Emeritus]

Worst. It's a new company named Legends, started by Jerry Jones and George Steinbrenner, to handle the concessions at the Cowboys and Yankees stadiums, for a start. They expect to make between one hundred and one hundred and fifty million dollars the first year.

[Reecey]

Hhhmmm. I really don't know. I'm sure most of the players are not in favor of this. For one, it gives the guys struggling to make a team even fewer chances to prove themselves to make those teams, and it puts those full time starters out in harms way two more weeks of every season.

On the plus side, it will generate a lot more revenue for ticket sales and tv generated revenue as well. I really don't know who to side with on this one. The vote belongs to the owners though, and I'm about (2/3rds) sure that that proposal will come to fruition.

[Baglady]

LH, $81,000 for ONE ticket to ONE Laker game???? Makes the SB ticket look like a real bargain!

Em, $90 for a pizza??? JJ and Steinbrenner in business together - a match made in.... Am a bit surprised 2 of the biggest egos in sports could work together. But there's $$$ to be made as long as there's someone willing to pay.

ck, think you know PSL's are a really sore subject for me. Hated to see our NYG family season tickets for over 50 yrs held hostage. We had 4 but reluctantly paid the extortion to keep 2 tickets - not sure it was a good idea. Jets are having trouble selling their PSL's and just reduced the fees. Just hate to see life long true fans being priced out of going to games.

Reecey, agreed, if the owners have a chance to increase revenue, they'll do it.

[Emeritus]

It cost $75 dollars to park at the new Cowboys stadium (for a football game) and there is no public transportation.

[LadyHawk]

LH, $81,000 for ONE ticket to ONE Laker game???? Makes the SB ticket look like a real bargain!

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No joke. One ticket for one game. Hmmm, let's see. Put a down payment on a house, buy an overpriced status car, or go to one Lakers game. Decisions, decisions...

[dredwak]

they should put more time between games... stretch the season to 9 months...have more games during the week...

[Emeritus]

Instead of combining the NFL and the AFL into one league, they should have had them play consecutive seasons, one after the other. That way, the football season would be twice as long.

[Reecey]

Instead of combining the NFL and the AFL into one league, they should have had them play consecutive seasons, one after the other. That way, the football season would be twice as long.

I LIKE THIS!!! But, eventually one league would have been able to draw more of the superior athletes and things would have gotten really one sided. But for the football die hards like us, we just want to see people compete on the grid iron.

[cklaurence]

I'm for anything, make that ANYTHING that increases the length of the football season...

[dredwak]

2 weeks between games...3 weeks between playoff games...4 week break before the superbowl...