Greg S Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/02/10/monday-night-football-flex-scheduling It wouldn't start until 2023 but that would suck for people attending the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aristocrat Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 no brainer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan in Cleveland Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 The author is correct. NFL fans have to live with a predetermined schedule and the risk of dud games or the inconvenience of travel and gameday that a switch from Sunday to Monday might cause. It would be a nightmare for folks like me that have to travel long distances for a home or away game. Bills fans travel well and this change could make that harder. But given enough lead time it may be possible. I'm on the west coast, have a full time career that rarely gets me home before 6 or 630 pacific time. I rarely watch a game unless it is a great matchup. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corta765 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 (edited) This would fundamentally be one of the worst most unfan friendly moves they could make. My wife and I had to cancel PIT because of the switch to night time with the way our travel worked, but at least that was just a time difference. Switching the day when thousands of fans come from out of town and plan financial decisions around that would be as awful idea as they come. I get the NFL is hellbent on TV, but stadiums look awful when fans are not there. At some point they need to focus some efforts on the people ya know actually going to the games and not the TV side. The better idea I heard was having MNF with more double headers or two games so you could swap for the better matchup. I should also add the NFL wouldn't have this issue if they didn't schedule teams so repetitively ensuring that a bad season by the Giants Jets Eagles Bears etc.. insert major market will result in less people watching. The fact the Jets got soo many night games was hilariously bad last year, but I sadly expect the same again. Edited February 11, 2020 by corta765 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlbillsfan1975 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 (edited) Teams that are winning would be flexed. They could move the game to a Monday morning, if the Bills were winning and in the hunt, New Era would sell out. Edited February 11, 2020 by atlbillsfan1975 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corta765 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Just now, atlbillsfan1975 said: Teams that are winning would be flexed. They could move the game to a Monday morning, if the Bills were winning and in the hunt, the place would sell out. If the game was in Sept or Oct. Ravens game had tickets on secondary market for $30, not exactly our best showing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msw2112 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 While I agree that it is exciting as a fan to have your team "flexed" to prime time and makes for better TV, flexing is a total screw job to the fans who purchase tickets. As mentioned above, people pay for flights, book hotels, arrange for babysitters, etc. to attend a game, and with little notice, the entire thing can be switched around, potentially causing hundreds of dollars of loss for the traveling fan, if not only inconvenience. With flights and hotels involved, the costs could easily exceed $1,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 it was a total screw job on ESPN for spending that much $$$ and getting a dog game 90% of the time and then the NFL sugarbabied NBC into having their pick of the week for the Sunday night game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T master Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 37 minutes ago, Greg S said: https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/02/10/monday-night-football-flex-scheduling It wouldn't start until 2023 but that would suck for people attending the game. The powers that be have ruined what was once the biggest & usually the best game of the week ! Everyone i knew after a hard day back to work on Monday couldn't wait to get home, eat dinner, pop open a beer & watch MNF it was a main stay in America for years ! Then some dum ass at ESPN decided "well lets move this game to ESPN" I don't know who's brain storm that was but that was the biggest demise of MNF ! Al & Chris saw the writing on the wall & jumped ship to NBC & so did all the MNF fans & ever since SNF has been the game of the week . The thing that blows me away is our local "Football Expert" John Murphy said recently on his daily show that "the NFL isn't to the point of saturation & every move they have made has always brought more viewership or Fans" well Big John your expertise comes through once again because moving MNF was one of if not the stupidest thing ESPN /ABC has ever done for the game !! This flexing thing must be another one of the ideas from the same dum ass that decided to move MNF from ABC to ESPN can't see anything going wrong with this decision ?... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logic Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 That would be absolutely TERRIBLE for fans traveling to the games. It's great for the TV audience, sure, but its AWFUL for live attendees. Awful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Evidently not only football can cause CTE. Working in broadcasting / NFL front office can cause it as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigK14094 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 This is starting the trend toward the stadiums really becoming TV studios.....and in 50 years, there won't be many fans there at all. With the MEGABUCK TV fees, the income from the in house crowd is a negligible part of the revenue stream. They are treating their number one income stream right (TV networks that is) and screwing with the smaller income stream. Its good business stragedy, but lousy for the in stadium fans. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramza86 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 I guess it would give home teams a good advantage seeing as traveling fans would pass on every Monday night road trip. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
416BillsFan Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Like most people, I love this idea until it inconveniences me! The big story though is the source saying Disney would move MNF to ABC and off ESPN. Would they really risk all that cord-cutting, not to mention a reduced lack of negotiating power with cable/satellite providers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 I have a better idea. Do away with Monday Night Football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machine gun kelly Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 2 hours ago, corta765 said: This would fundamentally be one of the worst most unfan friendly moves they could make. My wife and I had to cancel PIT because of the switch to night time with the way our travel worked, but at least that was just a time difference. Switching the day when thousands of fans come from out of town and plan financial decisions around that would be as awful idea as they come. I get the NFL is hellbent on TV, but stadiums look awful when fans are not there. At some point they need to focus some efforts on the people ya know actually going to the games and not the TV side. The better idea I heard was having MNF with more double headers or two games so you could swap for the better matchup. I should also add the NFL wouldn't have this issue if they didn't schedule teams so repetitively ensuring that a bad season by the Giants Jets Eagles Bears etc.. insert major market will result in less people watching. The fact the Jets got soo many night games was hilariously bad last year, but I sadly expect the same again. Corta and Ethan, I couldn’t agree more. It is somewhat myopic, if we had a great game coming up, and I fly all three kids, request vacation time for Friday and Monday morning. I’m giving an example, but I’m sure there a ton more where it is significantly unfair for out of Towners, or even Buffalonians who may have to get up at 5 am for their jobs. That would stink. Owners, players and the NFL are going to make more than enough $ with an expanded schedule, which seems more and more like it might happen, and Direct TV loses exclusivity for streaming. I can’t remember how many fans started a short thread of “Do any of you guys will show the Bills game in what European city, or just OUS. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowgirlsFan Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Love the idea of not having to watch 2 teams with a 4-9 record HOWEVER booking hotels and flights at short notice would be out of my budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobilz Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corta765 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 23 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said: Corta and Ethan, I couldn’t agree more. It is somewhat myopic, if we had a great game coming up, and I fly all three kids, request vacation time for Friday and Monday morning. I’m giving an example, but I’m sure there a ton more where it is significantly unfair for out of Towners, or even Buffalonians who may have to get up at 5 am for their jobs. That would stink. Owners, players and the NFL are going to make more than enough $ with an expanded schedule, which seems more and more like it might happen, and Direct TV loses exclusivity for streaming. I can’t remember how many fans started a short thread of “Do any of you guys will show the Bills game in what European city, or just OUS. Yea it's tough because one of the best things the NFL did for fan interest was eliminating the blackout rule. It's weird to think just a decade ago that still happened frequently and it was a really archaic rule. I can't wait to tell my son that we use to not be able to watch the Bills because we didn't sell 500 tickets haha But yea Amy Trask former president of the Raiders tweeted back and forth with me and her thoughts were if you move the games the least the NFL should do is refund all travel and game costs assuming you can prove the cost with receipt as a way to say to the fans we get our move hurt your experience. She is huge about fan experience and the fact the NFL needs to do more for the fans who actually go. What you brought up about traveling and days off is my great fear if this comes true given how regularly the Bills do play on MNF which is at least once per season most of the time. Not being able to go to PIT was gut wrenching and in a sense it took away from watching them clinch knowing we should've been there. On the plus side we got our money back! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Doom Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Terrible idea for travelling fans. It was bad enough having to stay in Pittsburg an extra night when that game was flexed to Sunday Night. If it was flexed to Monday I would have had to back out. Fans make travel plans too far in advance and this would be brutal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Over 29 years of fanhood Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 (edited) See that? If they were rigging the games they wouldn’t need to suggest any of this stupid flexing for anything Edited February 11, 2020 by Over 29 years of fanhood 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1st&ten Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 4 hours ago, Binghamton Beast said: I have a better idea. Do away with Monday Night Football. This is a great idea----MNF is way past it's prime---move the game to Sat----keep the Sun night game but start it an hour earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 they could start to make it better by not giving us an obviously horrible Washington team 3-4 times every season... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Bills games that I attend involve travel (99% of the time). That means flight plans, car rentals and hotel reservations generally made far in advance. If they jerk me around on that, I’d be ticked! However, it’s just one more sign that’s it’s all about the BIG TV dollars and the fans attending games are just icing on the cake and eligible for getting screwed if it means more TV money. It’s great if you’re sitting at home and want a better game, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djp14150 Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 7 hours ago, row_33 said: it was a total screw job on ESPN for spending that much $$$ and getting a dog game 90% of the time and then the NFL sugarbabied NBC into having their pick of the week for the Sunday night game The nfl did a bait and switch. The Sunday games weren’t all that good and Monday night usually had really good games. ESPN paid for that but then nbc came in and got flexing and higher quality. the flexing is a non brainer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 1 hour ago, djp14150 said: The nfl did a bait and switch. The Sunday games weren’t all that good and Monday night usually had really good games. ESPN paid for that but then nbc came in and got flexing and higher quality. the flexing is a non brainer yup, tougher for MNF though, sadly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberal Bob Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 This is very common with powerhouse college football games where it is not uncommon to find out game time until the Monday before that weekend a 5 day notice. TV is in complete control Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 24 minutes ago, Liberal Bob said: This is very common with powerhouse college football games where it is not uncommon to find out game time until the Monday before that weekend a 5 day notice. TV is in complete control I’m sure that’s often the case, and I could generally work with it. Change the actual game day and my travel plans are in shambles. I know some people love those prime time games, and I find it exciting as well. Thanksgiving this year was awesome! (Winning helps, of course.) But I can live with the ritual of a 1:00PM Sunday routine. Works for me, I know what to expect. To each their own, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 MLB has been doing this for years. Definitely sucks if you’re trying to take your family to an afternoon event. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 2 hours ago, Liberal Bob said: This is very common with powerhouse college football games where it is not uncommon to find out game time until the Monday before that weekend a 5 day notice. TV is in complete control Never ran into a dramatic change of over a decade of attending college games moving it from noon to 3:30 is not remotely close to a catastrophe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liberal Bob Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 55 minutes ago, row_33 said: Never ran into a dramatic change of over a decade of attending college games moving it from noon to 3:30 is not remotely close to a catastrophe I go to every Penn St game and it is a huge difference if a game is played at noon instead of 8 pm…. happens all the time in college Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 2 minutes ago, Liberal Bob said: I go to every Penn St game and it is a huge difference if a game is played at noon instead of 8 pm…. happens all the time in college I’ll give you that for sure. I like to know what to expect. Changing the hour can be tough. Changing the DAY could SUCK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 2 hours ago, Liberal Bob said: I go to every Penn St game and it is a huge difference if a game is played at noon instead of 8 pm…. happens all the time in college All the time meaning maybe once a year? okay.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f0neguy Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 Why not just schedule two Monday night games every week and nationally televise the "better" one? Or have the two games and broadcast them based on region or conference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mc1320 Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 ESPN got stuck with crappy games on Monday because when they previously had the rights to Sunday night on ESPN and Monday on ABC, they lowballed the NFL on bids for both thinking they had no completion for the Sunday night rights after CBS and FOX re-upped for the Sunday afternoons . When NBC came in with the winning bid for Sunday, the NFL decided to shift the high profile games from Monday to the Sunday night slot and leave ESPN with a bunch of garbage divisional games on Monday. Based on the ratings for Sunday night, this has paid off for the NFL, not so great for ESPN. If they make this change to appease ESPN, this would be a total screw job for the fans - people start making travel plans in April when the schedule is released. Changes like this and trying to cram a 17 games schedule down the throats of the players after all their bull#### about player safety just shows the insatiable greed of the owners. But as long as we keep watching, buying tickets and jerseys, this will not change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nester Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 This move is very Anti fan people plan to go to these games at great expense 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaccof Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 22 hours ago, Logic said: That would be absolutely TERRIBLE for fans traveling to the games. It's great for the TV audience, sure, but its AWFUL for live attendees. Awful. The revenue lost by say 10% of the fans of a team that gets flexed and are pissed about it and no longer spend money with the NFL is pretty small. Back of napkin math - figure 10% of 70,000 fans X 8 flexed games X $200/fan that they will no longer spend on the NFL = $11.2M in lost revenue. I'm not counting ticket sales because you have to figure thats a sunk cost and someone else will buy those tickets up locally. Then figure back in the additional money the new fans who buy up those tickets spend - lets assume $100 each - now you're down to less than $6M in lost revenue. The NFL will more than make that up if, by flexing, they're in theory getting a better game that more people will watch. Just my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
row_33 Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 32 minutes ago, Nester said: This move is very Anti fan people plan to go to these games at great expense i guess all the fans in the lives of the decision-makers have nothing better to do with their week than sit there waiting to see if they go to the game Sunday morn or night, or Monday night now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 1 hour ago, chaccof said: The revenue lost by say 10% of the fans of a team that gets flexed and are pissed about it and no longer spend money with the NFL is pretty small. Back of napkin math - figure 10% of 70,000 fans X 8 flexed games X $200/fan that they will no longer spend on the NFL = $11.2M in lost revenue. I'm not counting ticket sales because you have to figure thats a sunk cost and someone else will buy those tickets up locally. Then figure back in the additional money the new fans who buy up those tickets spend - lets assume $100 each - now you're down to less than $6M in lost revenue. The NFL will more than make that up if, by flexing, they're in theory getting a better game that more people will watch. Just my two cents. Two cents? That evaluation is not worth one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Brown Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Since TV contracts are the main source of revenue it makes sense. Us plebs attending games are apparently going to have to deal with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts