The NFL may expand to 18 games in 2011.
My response — the more the better. I say find a way to go to a 46-game schedule with four rounds of playoffs and take two weeks off before restarting.
Seriously, it’s about time the NFL started giving fans real games for the real money they charge for preseason contests. NFL owners may vote in May on expanding to 17 or 18 games and cut the preseason by one or two weeks. Seventeen seems dumb — an uneven number. Just go to 18 already.
The NFL needs new revenues as it readies for labor agreement talks in hopes of not losing the 2011 season. Television monies, the Internet and even global markets seem stagnant. Two more games should sweeten paychecks by 12 percent. It’s a nice olive branch by owners in what will be contentious talks.
The NFL is readying for a lockout given recent discussions during owners meetings this week. There’s talk of moving the draft to February (another great idea) to save scouting money and better focus free agency. It would also conclude major business before the league’s April 1 fiscal year end, including 2011 when the lockout would begin. Schedule expansion also gives the NFL Players Association something to ponder when readying for negotiations. There’s even talk of spring games for rookies.
But the big negotiating tool is the schedule. The NFL has already pushed into February with the Super Bowl. With a longer schedule and draft at month’s end, the NFL would own sweeps month in television. Of course, they could also start a week earlier and return to Labor Day weekend like many previous seasons.
The public loves football enough to watch offseason indoor leagues. Why not give them more of the real thing? By the real thing, we’re not talking preseason games where starters play maybe 7 of 16 quarters and barely any in two games. Two preseason games would mean playing starters at least half of the snaps. Those 30,000 empty seats at FedEx Field would be filled and owner Dan Snyder could sell a lot more hot dogs.
The downside is injuries. Then again, players get hurt in the preseason. Redskins defensive end Phillip Daniels suffered a season-ending injury on the first snap of training camp last year.
This seems a simple vote. Then again, little is ever simple in the NFL.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or e-mail [email protected].
