Tagliabue ready to make a change in the schedule.

[HABSMAN]

After an injury-riddled preseason, it appears NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue may be ready to make a radical change in the schedule.
According to the Washington Post, Tagliabue is considering a study on the feasibility of reducing the number of preseason games and possibly adding two games to the regular season. The league has had a 16-game regular season for 25 years, with teams playing as many as five preseason games.
With league meetings scheduled for late October, the idea would reportedly be discussed at that time with the earliest schedule to be affected being the 2005 campaign.

 

[Dante]

I think 3 preseason games is enough

 

[TheGeneral+]

More games the better

But, just as many games to get hurt in.

 

[wilheim]

If Tagliabue's logic is to reduce preseason games and increase regular season games to cut the number injuries to key palyers. Key players will play all the more if the last 2 preseason games are turned into regular season games. Right now 16 games is brutal on many teams who have to limp into playoffs with banged up players. The owners will never decrease the number of games for financial reasons. Most likely we will see less play in preseason by star players than we did this preseason.

wil.


wil.

 

[TheGeneral+]

I agree Wil.

The players needed are less likely to play in Preseason than in 2 reg season games.

The logic doesn't make sense.

 

[ger379]

it's a smokescreen. Under the pretense of preseason injury concern they will eventually replace 2 preseason games(weeks) with 2 regular season games(weeks) will fetch more cash in the next set of TV contracts.

 

[-Slim-]

imagine how cool a 162 game schedule would be

 

[lander]

They'd better throw another bye week in if they're serious about this ...

.. most teams limp into the playoffs as is.

 

[WildBill]

People always complaining about crap in the leagues, lets face it they aren't going to cut back the weeks because they sell those tickets full price and so it has to be played in their minds, if it counts or not. I think if they continue having preseason games they ought to make it more interesting, say put money on the line a la XFL. Members of the winning team split 200k and the losers get zilch. At that level it wouldn't mean much to the guys who will make the team for sure, but those poor guys that get cut its a nice bonus for playing for virtually nothing.

I knew a guy that went to Steelers camp and got virtually nothing out of it because he got cut. The people there say "hey kid you got exposure, agents always want to talk to kids that get cut the last day", but the cheapass Steelers sure didn't help him out. He asked if he could keep his jersey, at least a nice souvenir and they said no, if he wanted it he had to pay $350 for it! Can you believe it, what exactly were they gonna do with it? He played in the Arena league two years and then quit and got a regular job, never making it back to a camp. That Christmas after he got cut, his old man bought him a Steelers jersey with his name and number on it, presumably for less than $350.

 

[areeff]

f-ck the steelers

 

[HABSMAN]

Well Alrighty then!

 

[bulldog77]

Agree with Wiheim and Gen. If they go to 18 game schedule, there will be more injuries because you replace 2 games where you can spot-play or not play your starters with 2 more games where, I assume, the coaches will play all starters. Or worse yet, you NBAise the NFL where teams pace themselves early in season to keep healthy and rested for play-offs.
Either way, their going to increase season-ending injuries to key personnel.