Adding a 17th regular season game?

[Kiwon]

NFL looking closely at expanding to 17 games with international flavor

By BARRY WILNER, AP Football Writer
May 10, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- Americans always seem to want more pro football. Yet it's the folks abroad who might be getting an extra taste of the NFL in the future.

Although talks are extremely preliminary, the NFL is investigating adding a 17th regular-season game and playing it outside the United States. The extra game would take the place of one in the preseason, allowing every team to play once abroad without sacrificing a home match.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=Ag5HsWJFiAPmphUsoC00HFFDubYF?slug=ap-17thgame&prov=ap&type=lgns
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Deduct one pre-season game to add a 17th regular season game?

I'm not too crazy over this idea at the moment.

[BooHoo]

I guess it is a way to generate more revenue.

[BallHawk]

Would they do all the games on one particular week. If so, that'd be awesome. Can you imagine how cool it would be hearing Al Michaels and John Madden calling a Packers/Bears game from Reykjavik?

Are there any sporting venues in Tajikstan? What about Bishek or Dushanbe? Port Moresby? I've got it! Cairo! We'd have the Bears crying for their Mummies! What about Siberia? That'd be a real frozen tundra. What about the moon? Would they play it on "astroturf?" I can see it now....

And, yes, I feel fine. Just a little eccentric.

[MJZiggy]

I can just about guarantee you that John Madden is not going to Reykjavik. Unless he's willing to go by ship...

(I think they were referring to London, Madrid, Munich, and Frankfort.) John Madden still isn't going.

[packinpatland]

How do the fans play into all this?
Could they fill a stadium in those places?

[Merlin]

They were talking about dropping some preseason games and adding a 17th. Part of it was for international exposure, the other part was the injuries in preseason. A lot of the starters in the NFL don't like the preseason because of the risk.

[Kiwon]

How do the fans play into all this?
Could they fill a stadium in those places?

No.

They have already postponed the game in China. There just isn't interest in a sport uniquely American (other than the NBA basketball). The NFL needs to make NFL-E a success first.

I like the occasional game in Mexico, but like it or not, SOCCER is the football game that people want to see.

Besides this, the exhibition season is only four games (down from six). It serves a valuable purpose for owners, coaches, and athletes. I just don't see it as very practical to trim it to three games.

This proposal is all about $$$.

[gbpackfan]

This is a horrible idea. 16 games is enough. NFL is an AMERICAN sport, leave it in AMERICA! Why do they always have to wreck a good thing?

[SD GB fan]

This is a horrible idea. 16 games is enough. NFL is an AMERICAN sport, leave it in AMERICA! Why do they always have to wreck a good thing?

money

[MadtownPacker]

This is a horrible idea. 16 games is enough. NFL is an AMERICAN sport, leave it in AMERICA! Why do they always have to wreck a good thing?Agreed.

[cpk1994]

I can just about guarantee you that John Madden is not going to Reykjavik. Unless he's willing to go by ship...

(I think they were referring to London, Madrid, Munich, and Frankfort.) John Madden still isn't going.
He wouldn't be phsyically there but could still do color commentary for the game from a studio back here. ESPN did it for World Cup soccer games.

[Rastak]

Kiwon, that avatar rocks!

[gureski]

This idea is stupid. First, it's an uneven number of games. Do you know what that does to the scheduling part of things? It's a logistical mess as you try to set up some structure where each team faces the same schedule format. It's not impossibe but think about sports leagues in general like the NBA and MLB. Each of their seasons end with an even number. NBA is 82 games. MLB is 162 games. If they extend, they have to extend by 2 games or it's a mess.

Second, and I'm a cowboy American for saying this but this is OUR sport. This is an American sport. These are American teams. The games should be played in America. If another country gets a team and joins the NFL then we can play games in their country but until then, this nonsense of playing games in another country needs to stop. Exhibition game.....fine. Regular season game or even the superbowl in another country...(which I had heard was in the early stages of being kicked around) no way.

[BooHoo]

I can just about guarantee you that John Madden is not going to Reykjavik. Unless he's willing to go by ship...

(I think they were referring to London, Madrid, Munich, and Frankfort.) John Madden still isn't going.
He wouldn't be phsyically there but could still do color commentary for the game from a studio back here. ESPN did it for World Cup soccer games.

With computers, Madden could be in Green Bay and they could place him into the set in London. You would think that he was actually there.

[MJZiggy]

You'd think, but it's not the same as being there in person.

[BooHoo]

I do not like what adding a 17th game does to NFL records. Current players get a distinct advantage having another game to run the ball or to throw touchdowns. It is apples and organges. Just like when they went from 14 to 16 games. :crazy:

[MJZiggy]

True, but this would end the 8-8 record. That said, how do they deal with the jet lag associated with having to travel so far in the middle of an NFL season?

[BooHoo]

Yes, it always took me a few days after to get back to normal.

[BallHawk]

In all seriousness, it's a dumb idea and I doubt it happens. The schedule situation gets way too messed up and the travel issue would be a problem. I don't mind if they play a normal season game, one of the 16, in Mexico City or Toronto, but the rest is ridiculous.

[Kiwon]

How do the fans play into all this?
Could they fill a stadium in those places?

No.

They have already postponed the game in China. There just isn't interest in a sport uniquely American (other than the NBA basketball). The NFL needs to make NFL-E a success first.

I like the occasional game in Mexico, but like it or not, SOCCER is the football game that people want to see.

Ah...um....like I was saying, there is growing interest in American football in Europe.

Hot ticket: London NFL game sells 40,000 in 90 minutes

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2007-05-16-london-game-tickets_N.htm

[BallHawk]

The main interest, however, is in Germany. I could understand a game in Berlin, but not somewhere like Barcelona or Paris.

[packinpatland]

It's only a 5+ hour flight from the east coast, must be all those Giant fans filling the seats. :wink:

[BallHawk]

It's only a 5+ hour flight from the east coast, must be all those Giant fans filling the seats. :wink:

It's more about an 8 hour flight. It's a boring flight, but going to Japan is a lot worse. :|

[packinpatland]

It's only a 5+ hour flight from the east coast, must be all those Giant fans filling the seats. :wink:

It's more about an 8 hour flight. It's a boring flight, but going to Japan is a lot worse. :|

I stand corrected. On Virgin out of NY it's 6 hours and 45 min. 8 coming back.
Seems shorter.........the service is that good.

[BallHawk]

Virgin's a great airline to fly on.

[HarveyWallbangers]

It's only a 5+ hour flight from the east coast, must be all those Giant fans filling the seats. :wink:

Actually, it has nothing to do with American fans. The first batch of tickets were sold only to British and European fans. The next batch will go to American fans. Then, they'll go back to European fans.

From the article Kiwon posted:


The first batch of tickets went to fans in Britain and the rest of Europe selected randomly from registered ticket requests.

Sales in the United States to Giants and Dolphins fans are expected to begin within a week. Further tickets will be released to fans in Britain next month.