Reduce number of preseason games?

[pbmax]

How do colleges manage to do it without preseason games?

[Harlan Huckleby]

How do colleges manage to do it without preseason games?

They have permanent rosters of 80 players or something like that. College teams do a LOT more live scrimmaging during summer.

Often the bowl-bound teams schedule a good dose of patsies early.

You're right, the pros could get-by with no preseason games. So what is gained for the fans by eliminating preseason games? Watching them is better than watching a practice. Just because it is possible to eliminate the preseason games doesn't mean it offers any advantage to fans. If you want a longer regular season, that is only possible advantage.

[pbmax]

They have permanent rosters of 80 players or something like that. College teams do a LOT more live scrimmaging during summer.

Often the bowl-bound teams schedule a good dose of patsies early.

You're right, the pros could get-by with no preseason games. So what is gained for the fans by eliminating preseason games? Watching them is better than watching a practice. Just because it is possible to eliminate the preseason games doesn't mean it offers any advantage to fans. If you want a longer regular season, that is only possible advantage.

Pros scrimmage too, and colleges aren't all doing live tackling. But I do agree that 85 scholarships means you can get away with a lot of hitting, but that argues for less games, not more, in the pros.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I'm fine with adding more bye weeks, it is fun to take a break from the Packer melodrama occasionally, relax & watch other teams with the pacemaker turned off.

Cautionary tale: the NBA and NHL have ruined their regular season for the fans by playing way too many games. No intensity. The beauty of the NFL is that there are only 16 regular season games - and that's pushing it for the players health already. We get plenty more postseason football.

Face it, the only "advantage" of reducing preseason games is so the NFL and their partners can increase revenue by playing more regular season games. Don't let the slickmeisters, Bretsky and Goodell, pull the wool over your eyes. 16 games is just right for fans.

Agreed. 16 is perfect. Works well with a 32 team league that has 8 four team divisions. They should keep the number of playoff teams at 6. I don't want the watered down version of the playoffs that happens in the NBA, NHL, and MLS. MLB and NFL has the right number.

[KYPack]

Agreed. 16 is perfect. Works well with a 32 team league that has 8 four team divisions. They should keep the number of playoff teams at 6. I don't want the watered down version of the playoffs that happens in the NBA, NHL, and MLS. MLB and NFL has the right number.

!6 games and 32 teams are the perfect number. 32 teams, 8 divisions with 4 teams in 'em is totally perfect. 16 games is also a sweet number. This has caused all the reluctance against any expansion. Adding two or even 4 teams upsets a lot of applecarts. So does going to 18 games and/or expanding the play-offs. There are many owners that don't want to strangle the golden goose they have presently.

[Joemailman]

“I think we all have to be practical about this,” said McCarthy, who is entering his 10th season as Packers coach. “The health of your players is at the forefront of everything that you do in your program. Every decision that's weighed with an amount of risk.

“But you have to play. You have to play football. I think it's nonsense to think you can just go and not play your starters throughout preseason. It's not practical. We all signed up for four preseason games. It's what it is.”

Seems MM doesn't think the preseason games are as meaningless as his star quarterback does. My guess is he didn't care for Rogers' classification of the games as meaningless.

[Cheesehead Craig]

OK, sure. If they televised them, I'd watch, interesting to see how the players are doing. Maybe have some scrimmages. Wait - isn't this just about the same as preseason game anyway? What does the fan gain by having a joint practice as compared to a practice game?

In the dual practice sessions they can set up specific scenarios, like a 2 min drill or red zone work instead of hoping that they come up in a game. The fans can watch specific areas if they want that are there. TV could just bounce around for a specific play between different groups, almost like how golf jumps around to different groups. It's the NFL, the fans would eat it up regardless.

The coaches get more say in what gets done and they can have it where certain players don't get hit. It's safer to a degree than a preseason game.

[NewsBruin]

Doesn't everyone hand-wring about this every year, as soon as the first pro-bowler goes down with an injury?

Increasing the number of regular-season games, even if we took out an equal number of preseason games, would increase the wear and tear on the final 52.

I really, really like the 16-game regular season for its geometric perfection in terms of divisions and conferences, playing home-and-away with 3 rivals, and getting a good rotation of novelty for each home matchup (every AFC teams' fans, if they're lucky, get the opportunity of Bertt or Aaron playing on their field, at least once in their lifetime). I don't know how an 18-game season would work without some scheduling formula re-jigger that won't be as elegant as what we've got.

Along those lines, I don't see how extra regular-season games (at the expense of an equal number of preseason games) will add revenue to the league. Tickets, parking, and concessions aren't any cheaper in the preseason. Sunday-and-Monday broadcast contracts are set for awhile, i think. The only way that the NFL could get more money is if more regular-season games could void existing broadcast contracts.

More playoffs would bring 6 more full-house crowds, parking, concessions, and broadcasting fees. But more regular-season without expanding the regular season? I never understood that.

As much as I will miss Jordy, I don't think he's a legit test case for anything. Injuries in the first few games can't be avoided, only postponed. Take out preseason, guys will get hurt in the regular season. At least in the preseason, there's not the must-win pressure. Iffy injuries get put on the bench, rather than sent back in.

The only avoidable injuries of consequence in the preseason are the ones by some dumbass trying to make a name for himself at the expense of a bigger star.

The NFL has some allergic reaction to regular-season football in January or before Labor Day. The injuries to wring one's hands over are the ones that could be avoided with a second or third bye week, more short-term IR or inactive slots, or mandatory in-season games off.

[pbmax]

They should just increase rosters and dump the taxi squad. Make 'em all eligible.

[NewsBruin]

PB, it's counter-intuitive, but I've read that having an inactive list keeps the teams from dumping guys who could heal or develop. If everyone is active, then the rosters will only be stocked with guys who can contribute. Knowing the win-now mentality of everyone who draws a paycheck, I would totally believe that.

[mraynrand]

Agreed. 16 is perfect. Works well with a 32 team league that has 8 four team divisions. They should keep the number of playoff teams at 6. I don't want the watered down version of the playoffs that happens in the NBA, NHL, and MLS. MLB and NFL has the right number.

The NFL already has one too many playoff games. I would get rid of that extra WC team (and no, you don't have to remind me about 2010 )

[run pMc]

I don't have a problem with the preseason/season games. I think the players get plenty beat up, and preseason games are needed for sorting out the bubble/fringe players. For entrenched players and vets (and MVPs) like Rodgers, the games probably are pretty meaningless.
As to Jordy's injury, that could just as well happened in a practice. It wasn't like the CB hit him a la Matt Elam and snapped his leg.

I wonder what guys like TT and Wolf think about preseason.

[sharpe1027]

With many, many players having Swiss cheese for brains, and other serious debilitating problems long after their careers are done, they should just scrap the entire regular season. They should probably scrap the preseason and playoffs too.

[ThunderDan]

Cut it down to 18 games. 2 preseason and 16 regular season. DO NOT EVER FUCK WITH THE 16 GAME REGULAR SEASON ROGER!

[Harlan Huckleby]

Cut it down to 18 games. 2 preseason and 16 regular season. DO NOT EVER FUCK WITH THE 16 GAME REGULAR SEASON ROGER!

The key thing is to stick to the 16, but I also think 4-game preseason makes for better prepared teams.
Look at how a 4-game stretch is giving Hundley an opportunity to get some critical experience.
How would Packers ever know about Barclay without 4 games to play him into shape?

The injuries to Jordy, Cobb and Bulaga are all stuff that could have happened in practice too.

Preseason games are not injuring a high number of vets, the key players mostly sit.

Preseason games are not great for fans, but they are a better view than reading twitter reports from practice.

Regular season football is better quality because of 4 games to fine-tune rosters and prepare.