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14 teams in the Playoffs confirmed. Are we a lock?


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14 minutes ago, Binghamton Beast said:

I

 

I think you are doing a whole lot of speaking for yourself.

 

No one really cares for the 3rd game on Thanksgiving?

 

I do. So do a lot of people. 
 

https://deadline.com/2019/11/saints-falcons-thanksgiving-ratings-nfl-nbc-1202797348/

 

I think fatigue and overexpose is real. Monday Night Football is not really a relevant game anymore and I think the 3rd Sunday game along with Thursday games have been a big factor in that. I think hardcore football fans love more football. However the hardcore fan is going to watch no matter what. I think that growing revenue by just making more of the product for hardcore fans isn't a sustainable business model. They should focus their efforts on improving their efforts to get international expansion and casual fans as opposed to just squeezing more out of their existing fan base. 

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15 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

TNF > MNF for about the last 4 years. And it isn't close. MNF is the product that sucks and needs to go. 

 

The  Thursday games are rarely good in my opinion. The players hate the 3 day turnaround, the games are often sloppy quality wise and they are rarely compelling matchups. MNF has been hurt by the fact that SNF took the best games when MNF moved to ESPN and the fact that it went from the only nationally televised game each week to now one of three makes it feel less special overall. Thursday games also ruin fantasy football in my opinion because it is a constant thing you have to monitor as opposed to just putting in your waiver claims Tuesday and adjusting your roster Wednesday and then you are good until Sunday. 

 

Monday being only one day removed from Sunday doesn't alter the players ability to prepare for games. I think MNF is a salvageable product whereas TNF is an abomination. 

Edited by billsfan89
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1 hour ago, billsfan89 said:

 

The NFL should focus their efforts on growing the sport in the UK, Germany and Mexico as opposed to over expanding it in the USA. Sad to see the short sighted corporate thinking that these owners are engaged in. 

 

I'm not so sure international is the way to go; I don't see American football catching on in Europe or Mexico.  I think the better bet would be to pull back a number of the changes that occurred in the last several years.  Quit the over officiating of the game, allow teams to play defense (fewer QB protections), go back to a 16 game schedule, and don't water down the playoffs to start.  The NFL doesn't have to expand into other countries that won't embrace the sport, but rather return to what made it great in the first place.  Too much tinkering has gone on during Roger Goodell's tenure that I would suspect a lot of fans are tired of.

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2 minutes ago, Happy Gilmore said:

 

I'm not so sure international is the way to go; I don't see American football catching on in Europe or Mexico.  I think the better bet would be to pull back a number of the changes that occurred in the last several years.  Quit the over officiating of the game, allow teams to play defense (fewer QB protections), go back to a 16 game schedule, and don't water down the playoffs to start.  The NFL doesn't have to expand into other countries that won't embrace the sport, but rather return to what made it great in the first place.  Too much tinkering has gone on during Roger Goodell's tenure that I would suspect a lot of fans are tired of.

 

I think the growth in the USA is nearly impossible at a high level. How much more popular could football get in the USA? I am sure you could pull in some more casual fans but overall the growth in the USA only comes from milking the existing fans by putting on more games and creating more of the product. Whereas American football has gained a foothold in the UK and Mexico both markets that combine for over 100 million people. I also think that Germany is another spot where growth in it is possible. I don't know where else you could grow the game but international expansion in terms of marketing is a must if the NFL wishes to grow revenue meaningfully. 

 

As far as officiation of games? I agree the NFL needs to find a way to cut down on flags. But what exactly can they do to cut down on flags? What penalties do they call too much of? I legitimately don't know. Roughing the passer and QB protections are needed (I don't think allowing more borderline hits on QB's really adds to the value of the game) but they could be relaxed in a way where defenders know what they can and can't do more clearly. There are far too many rules that put too much onus on the defender to just know how to ease up on a QB in live play. 

 

I also don't know if "under officiating" the games makes them better. Seattle's legion of boom basically mugged receivers taking advantage of the NFL officials not wanting to "over officiate the game" and they were a slog to watch defensively as their pass defense amounted to pulling down receivers over and over again. Sure they were talented and still good in the years after but they went from an all time great defense to just a great defense because they couldn't take advantage of the way the rules are enforced. 

 

I think that you run the risk of coaches and players taking advantage of rules that are more lax in enforcement. But then you don't want to call flags on every play either?

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12 minutes ago, billsfan89 said:

 

I think the growth in the USA is nearly impossible at a high level. How much more popular could football get in the USA? I am sure you could pull in some more casual fans but overall the growth in the USA only comes from milking the existing fans by putting on more games and creating more of the product. Whereas American football has gained a foothold in the UK and Mexico both markets that combine for over 100 million people. I also think that Germany is another spot where growth in it is possible. I don't know where else you could grow the game but international expansion in terms of marketing is a must if the NFL wishes to grow revenue meaningfully. 

 

As far as officiation of games? I agree the NFL needs to find a way to cut down on flags. But what exactly can they do to cut down on flags? What penalties do they call too much of? I legitimately don't know. Roughing the passer and QB protections are needed (I don't think allowing more borderline hits on QB's really adds to the value of the game) but they could be relaxed in a way where defenders know what they can and can't do more clearly. There are far too many rules that put too much onus on the defender to just know how to ease up on a QB in live play. 

 

I also don't know if "under officiating" the games makes them better. Seattle's legion of boom basically mugged receivers taking advantage of the NFL officials not wanting to "over officiate the game" and they were a slog to watch defensively as their pass defense amounted to pulling down receivers over and over again. Sure they were talented and still good in the years after but they went from an all time great defense to just a great defense because they couldn't take advantage of the way the rules are enforced. 

 

I think that you run the risk of coaches and players taking advantage of rules that are more lax in enforcement. But then you don't want to call flags on every play either?

 

There was an NFL Europe, which has been defunct for a couple of years now.  If the NFL's intent is to have an exposition game in Mexico and Germany once a year, maybe it will help add viewers, but maybe not.  In those countries, the #1 sport is soccer and it's not even close.  I do think there is some room for expansion in the US; I say that because for the past several years, some stadiums could not fill up on Sundays.  I think cost (ticket, food, and beer) has a lot to do with it; there is a point where people stop paying and the NFL has to realize this.

 

I'm not saying to go back to the 70's as far as officiating, but you can't manage games with officiating to the point where the games are determined by the officials.  That is what is happening now.

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7 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

The slow decline in the quality of the product during the regular season.  Reminds me of when baseball added a Wild Card spot.  Can't wait to see the 7-9 Lions take on the 14-2 Packers in the 1st round.

First, which season would a 7-9 team have taken the extra spot? Second, what happens when the Lions win. 

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8 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

The slow decline in the quality of the product during the regular season.  Reminds me of when baseball added a Wild Card spot.  Can't wait to see the 7-9 Lions take on the 14-2 Packers in the 1st round.

 

Maybe you can show games which allow that to happen so we can see how likely it will occur.

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30 minutes ago, PetermansRedemption said:

First, which season would a 7-9 team have taken the extra spot? Second, what happens when the Lions win. 

 

22 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

 

Maybe you can show games which allow that to happen so we can see how likely it will occur.

You are right.  I am wrong.  You're very good looking.  I am not attractive.

  • Haha (+1) 4
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8 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Just the law of averages tells you they'll be an 8-9 Wild Card team once every three or so years if you have a top heavy conference.

   You would think that, but going back to when this current 4 division per conf alignment began not a single team with a losing record would have made it so far. A few 8-8 teams and more 9-7 teams, but none with losing records.

  Now watch 2 teams with losing records make it next year.?     edit: sorry, I guess that was already pointed out. I was on page 1.?

 

54 minutes ago, PetermansRedemption said:

First, which season would a 7-9 team have taken the extra spot? Second, what happens when the Lions win. 

They tip over cars and light sh it on fire in downtown Detroit?

Edited by Turk71
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1 minute ago, Turk71 said:

   You would think that, but going back to when this current 4 division per conf alignment began not a single team with a losing record would have made it so far. A few 8-8 teams and more 9-7 teams, but none with losing records.

  Now watch 2 teams with losing records make it next year.?

 

Yeah.  I was surprised.  There's more examples of 7-9 division winners making it.  Once you expand the regular season to 17 games those 8-8 teams that made it under the current system will pry make it at 8-9.

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