18 game schedule coming...What would you like to see the new format be?

[Alvin Walton]

Its high time this has happened. Pre-season is irrelevant and boring. Why people pay tickets to watch a game that doesnt count, played by mostly scrubs is beyond me. The NFL season seems to get shorter every year. I'd approve the max amount of roster increase they can get. As far as player durability goes, yea thats an issue I dont think can be resolved other than with player supplementation from an increased roster. But when I see how huge these guys's salarys are, well I have a hard time sympathizing with their pain. The NFL pays monstrous amounts of money to kids that are fresh off the turnip farm and these kids know it. There will never be a shortage of players.

[SmootSmack]

I'm not sure I could handle two extra weeks of Game Day threads.

As a fan I'm honestly pretty apathetic about adding two regular season games. I don't know I just can't get excited about it

[SmootSmack]

And I'm not sure I'd call preseason irrelevant. Without it, we woukdnt have had Undrafted free agents Brandon Banks, Lorenzo Alexander, and Anthony Armstrong playing key roles in our win Sunday

[BigHairedAristocrat]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

And I'm not sure I'd call preseason irrelevant. Without it, we woukdnt have had Undrafted free agents Brandon Banks, Lorenzo Alexander, and Anthony Armstrong playing key roles in our win Sunday

I'm not sure thats necessarily true. Armstrong, Banks, and Alexander were all very impressive in the offseason. In addition, while we'll have less preseason games to evaluate young players, we'll likely have larger overall roster sizes and larger gameday roster sizes.

If anything, the 18 game season will result in MORE young, unproven players making NFL teams and contributing to their teams during the regular season. Teams wont have to chose between keeping a Brandon Banks and a Terrance Austin - they'll have enough roster space to keep both. I'm personally hoping for a 58 man roster with all 58 players available to play on gameday

[irish]

Originally Posted by BigHairedAristocrat

I'm not sure thats necessarily true. Armstrong, Banks, and Alexander were all very impressive in the offseason. In addition, while we'll have less preseason games to evaluate young players, we'll likely have larger overall roster sizes and larger gameday roster sizes.

If anything, the 18 game season will result in MORE young, unproven players making NFL teams and contributing to their teams during the regular season. Teams wont have to chose between keeping a Brandon Banks and a Terrance Austin - they'll have enough roster space to keep both. I'm personally hoping for a 58 man roster with all 58 players available to play on gameday

Right now the owners only want to add 1 spot. I suspect in the end it will be 3.

[Alvin Walton]

It is irrelevant.
NFL games are supposed to be competitive events.
Not a training/evaluation session.
I'm not so die hard that I like to pay to watch guys practice.
And those kids you mentioned......call me when they're carrying us thru the playoffs.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Alvin Walton

It is irrelevant.
NFL games are supposed to be competitive events.
Not a training/evaluation session.
I'm not so die hard that I like to pay to watch guys practice.
And those kids you mentioned......call me when they're carrying us thru the playoffs.

Preseason games basically evaluate players in game situations. The give guys like Kurt Warner necessary reps to allow him to lead his teams to 3 super bowls.

[MTK]

It's funny how fans are saying they don't want 2 extra games, but I guarantee you once it happens that attendance, TV ratings, and league revenue will say otherwise.

[celts32]

The 18 game schedule definitely helps season ticket holders. We will only have one worthless preseason game to pay for. Also I will be excited to see the super bowl moved to Presidents Day weekend when many people have off the next day.

[skinsguy]

Originally Posted by celts32

The 18 game schedule definitely helps season ticket holders. We will only have one worthless preseason game to pay for. Also I will be excited to see the super bowl moved to Presidents Day weekend when many people have off the next day.

Since I have only gotten a chance to attend one game and those tickets were free, do season ticket holders pay as much for preseason games as they do regular season games or are those preseason games even included in the package?

Unfortunately, I don't have Presidents Day off so it wouldn't make a difference to me.

[mooby]

Originally Posted by skinsguy

Since I have only gotten a chance to attend one game and those tickets were free, do season ticket holders pay as much for preseason games as they do regular season games or are those preseason games even included in the package?

Unfortunately, I don't have Presidents Day off so it wouldn't make a difference to me.

Season ticket holders have to pay right now for 10 home games, which includes 2 preseason. And they still have to pay full price for those 2 preseason games, which is something I'm sure none of them like to pay for. And you can't opt out of buying preseason, you have to buy them as part of the full package.

[skinsguy]

Originally Posted by mooby

Season ticket holders have to pay right now for 10 home games, which includes 2 preseason. And they still have to pay full price for those 2 preseason games, which is something I'm sure none of them like to pay for. And you can't opt out of buying preseason, you have to buy them as part of the full package.

Ahhh....OK! Well, I guess from the POV of buying a product, the product being season tickets, that maybe one of those games would count? That would be my next thought. I'm sure the two extra games would be one more home game and one more away game? At least that would make the most sense to me. I personally think it's a crime that they force you to buy preseason games, but I am assuming that is to ensure that people will come out to those games and buy merchandise and food.

[skinsguy]

Mooby:

I do see your point in not wanting the game to get "too big for its britches" as my granny used to say. I don't like the idea of anything taking away from the sport as it is right now. I, for one, don't like the idea of expanding it across the pond. I just think it puts too much pressure on teams that have to travel so far to play. The West Coast teams seem to have issues with just traveling across this country. And I also think 32 teams are more than enough teams for the NFL. But, I'm sure there will be more expansion teams in the near future (didn't they want an NFL team back in LA?)

I definitely agree that the NFL turns its back on retired players. That I think is a crime, and definitely one that needs to be righted.