NFL adopts 17 game regular season

[nkypete]

Effective this upcoming 2021 season.  Years ago when they changed it from 14 to 16 games, I said OK.  17 games feels really odd.  The Bengals will have an extra home game playing the 49ers.  This year, the extra games will all be hosted by the AFC with the NFC getting the nod next year.  The opponents were determined based on comparable teams in the other conference.  Of course, more money for the NFL.  No extra pay for the players and their salaries will be spread over 17 regular season games instead of 16.  Three preseason games instead of four.  At least for the Bengals fans, ticket prices will not be raised.  One more good thing - the 4th preseason game was always a joke.  It will be interesting splitting 9 home games with my buddy who shares season tickets with me.

What does everyone else think?

[theguru]

I like it because I prefer more NFL vs. less.  I would rather see 18 games with only 2 preseason games but I realize that is asking a lot of these on the field warriors. 

Who Dey!

[CincySportsFan]

This was coming down the track.  The NFL is going to milk the media-cow for all it's got.

As to salaries, the thing I had heard, was that there will be a bonus for every player still on the roster at the time of the 17th game.  That way, it doesn't affect the salary cap.  Not sure how that's going to impact franchise tags going forward though.  Sooner or later the contracts will have to be based on a 17-game schedule.  The odd thing to me was that they kept saying the bonus will be 1/17th of a player's salary...but, it really should be 1/16th, shouldn't it?

This will get them down the road, until the NFL decides it wants to go to an 18 game schedule, in which they'll "offer" a second bye week...all under the guise of doing it for the "health and welfare of the players".  That'll push the regular season broadcasts out to 20 weeks.

And as for seasonal records...they'll be falling all over the place.  A 6000-yard passer is probably coming down the line.

[theguru]

2 minutes ago, CincySportsFan said:

This was coming down the track.  The NFL is going to milk the media-cow for all it's got.

As to salaries, the thing I had heard, was that there will be a bonus for every player still on the roster at the time of the 17th game.  That way, it doesn't affect the salary cap.  Not sure how that's going to impact franchise tags going forward though.  Sooner or later the contracts will have to be based on a 17-game schedule.  The odd thing to me was that they kept saying the bonus will be 1/17th of a player's salary...but, it really should be 1/16th, shouldn't it?

This will get them down the road, until the NFL decides it wants to go to an 18 game schedule, in which they'll "offer" a second bye week...all under the guise of doing it for the "health and welfare of the players".  That'll push the regular season broadcasts out to 20 weeks.

And as for seasonal records...they'll be falling all over the place.  A 6000-yard passer is probably coming down the line.

This!

[nkypete]

In regards to one less preseason game, I think it will more difficult for that late round draft pick or free agent to make an impression on the coaches in order to grab one of those backend spots on the roster.

[bugatti]

You got to love the NFL players taking to social media to say how stupid this all is. Um, you agreed to this. Don't like it? Put your money where your mouth is.

The NFL owners have always played chess and the NFLPA, especially under Demaurice Smith, are playing checkers with a few pieces missing. No idea why they have stuck with that dude. I think because he encourages players to speak out against the NFL? Makes them feel good and feeds narcissism.

[theguru]

29 minutes ago, bugatti said:

You got to love the NFL players taking to social media to say how stupid this all is. Um, you agreed to this. Don't like it? Put your money where your mouth is.

The NFL owners have always played chess and the NFLPA, especially under Demaurice Smith, are playing checkers with a few pieces missing. No idea why they have stuck with that dude. I think because he encourages players to speak out against the NFL? Makes them feel good and feeds narcissism.

I feel like professional athletes complain way too much these days and it is a turn off.

[bugatti]

27 minutes ago, theguru said:

I feel like professional athletes complain way too much these days and it is a turn off.

I agree, but the NFL has cornered the market. In exchange for agreeing to these things, the players are allowed to tee off against ownership/management despite them being the ones agreeing to it. Ownership/management does not care what they say, nor should they, if it is something collectively bargained.

[theguru]

28 minutes ago, bugatti said:

I agree, but the NFL has cornered the market. In exchange for agreeing to these things, the players are allowed to tee off against ownership/management despite them being the ones agreeing to it. Ownership/management does not care what they say, nor should they, if it is something collectively bargained.

You're right bug.

[Kenny Powers]

1 hour ago, theguru said:

I feel like professional athletes complain way too much these days and it is a turn off.

 

1 hour ago, bugatti said:

I agree, but the NFL has cornered the market. In exchange for agreeing to these things, the players are allowed to tee off against ownership/management despite them being the ones agreeing to it. Ownership/management does not care what they say, nor should they, if it is something collectively bargained.

I disagree; I don't think athletes complain any more than employees of any other industry. We just hear the complaints more because of the massive social media platforms athletes/celebrities have to express their frustrations. We, as fans, are frustrated by it more because professional athletes make substantial salaries for doing what many of us consider "just a game" and we think they should just shut up and play. Every industry has people who complain about not "getting their's"; the difference is they are not on Instagram and Twitter or being interviewed by ESPN to have a live Festivus for millions of people to see. 

[theguru]

1 minute ago, Kenny Powers said:

 

I disagree; I don't think athletes complain any more than employees of any other industry. We just hear the complaints more because of the massive social media platforms athletes/celebrities have to express their frustrations. We, as fans, are frustrated by it more because professional athletes make substantial salaries for doing what many of us consider "just a game" and we think they should just shut up and play. Every industry has people who complain about not "getting their's"; the difference is they are not on Instagram and Twitter or being interviewed by ESPN to have a live Festivus for millions of people to see. 

We do disagree and since you brought it up I am all for them making as much money as they can. 

[bugatti]

32 minutes ago, Kenny Powers said:

 

I disagree; I don't think athletes complain any more than employees of any other industry. We just hear the complaints more because of the massive social media platforms athletes/celebrities have to express their frustrations. We, as fans, are frustrated by it more because professional athletes make substantial salaries for doing what many of us consider "just a game" and we think they should just shut up and play. Every industry has people who complain about not "getting their's"; the difference is they are not on Instagram and Twitter or being interviewed by ESPN to have a live Festivus for millions of people to see. 

I am all for athletes making as much as they can and fundamentally I am opposed to salary caps. My only point is their "frustrations" are items they agreed to. And we are not talking ancient history agreements here. These are things decided upon this contract cycle. Yet you have players coming out saying how "stupid" this is like they had no clue it was coming and didn't ask for it.

[Kenny Powers]

1 hour ago, bugatti said:

I am all for athletes making as much as they can and fundamentally I am opposed to salary caps. My only point is their "frustrations" are items they agreed to. And we are not talking ancient history agreements here. These are things decided upon this contract cycle. Yet you have players coming out saying how "stupid" this is like they had no clue it was coming and didn't ask for it.

I totally understand that and agree; if you can make it, who am I to criticize it? Good for you. 
 

I think it is a situation where no matter what the agreement is someone is going to complain and I believe that has always been true whether it is today or 50, 75, whatever years ago and not something that just suddenly happened; and that is true for every industry. 

[nkypete]

Complaining in the media after the fact makes it harder to bear.  Live and play with the agreement until the contract is up and then go renegotiate something better or different behind closed doors with all the fancy high paid lawyers if need be.

[CincySportsFan]

14 hours ago, nkypete said:

Complaining in the media after the fact makes it harder to bear.  Live and play with the agreement until the contract is up and then go renegotiate something better or different behind closed doors with all the fancy high paid lawyers if need be.

Just to play devil's advocate here on a couple of points...

1) Just because the agreement was passed, doesn't mean that all players voted in favor of it.  Heck, the numbers I just looked up said it was 1,019 "yes" and 959 "no" votes.  That's a slim margin.  

2) Each year, there are players coming into the league who didn't even get to vote on it.  Yes, they know what the situation is beforehand...but, it doesn't mean you have to like it.  And shoot, they may even be out of the league before the next agreement comes up for negotiation.

3) Contract-shmontract.  If the NFL wants the players to honor the CBA contract...how about the teams honor their individual contracts given to players.  Don't tell me you signed a guy for 5 years, $75 million...when you can turn around and walk away from it darn near scott free anytime you want. Until they're all 100% guaranteed, they're not contracts...they're reservations (with very little penalty for cancelling them).