The NFL Owners are meeting today in Atlanta. One of the agenda items is the proposed 18 game NFL schedule. This proposal would move two preseason games (currently four) to the regular season (from 16 games to 18 games). This is an inevitable move. I’m not a fan of the move for multiple reasons. The primary reason is that it is motivated by greed. Yes, Gordan Gekko states that, “Greed is good” but not in this case. It is a kin, in my mind, to the realignment that we see in major college football this past spring. It is about the almighty dollar. Yes, I get that the NFL is a business, I’m not naive but it is more complicated than the financial bottom line. There are people involved—both players and fans.
The 18 game schedule will create more wear and tear on the players’ bodies. This could mean more money during a season but less money over their careers because careers will be shorter. Running backs, already the disposable heroes of the league, will suffer even more of a beating over 18 games (plus the play offs which could push the total to 21 games). NFL is being hypocritical on this issue. On one end it discusses (and mandates) the need to vigilance and increased safety (technology, screenings, and equipment) regarding head injuries (which I support fully) about player safety. Then on the other end they extend the regular season, when veterans and starters will bear the brunt of the load, and ignore the wear and tear.
One of the arguments for an 18 game regular season is that the quality of play in the preseason is below the regular season. Roger Goddell discusses this all the time. The fans are demanding a better product in the preseason. Yes, some season ticket holders have to pay for preseason games and yes the preseason doesn’t count, but it is essential. More on that issue below. The fact is that no one complains about the quality of spring training in baseball. That is because we understand that it is practice, that players are working into game shape and speed, and that teams need to assess the talent on the roster. Why don’t we afford that same understanding to the NFL? Preseason games are not supposed to be the same quality as regular season games. Coaches are assessing a roster of 80 players and working out kinks in their offenses and defenses. No one brings up the fact that there are meaningless games in the regular season (see Indianapolis Colts, Cincinnati Bengals after clinching divisions last year). There is poor and inconsistent play in the NFL during the regular season (see Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Bucs). Also note that the more games on the schedule the more opportunity for teams to clinch early, rest starters, and for there to be even more meaningless games on the back end (instead of meaningless preseason games on the front end).
The lack of a four game preseason will make it harder for coaches to assess talent the talent on their rosters. It will be particularly harder for lower draft picks and undrafted free agents to prove themselves in game situations. Practice and OTAs are one thing but a roster is made in game situations. Mark Schlereth (former NFL lineman and ESPN analyst), Jeff Saturday (Colts starting center), and Terrell Davis (former Denver Bronco running back) have all said publicly that they would not have made the NFL if it weren’t for the full complement of preseason games. As mentioned before, fans gripe about the quality of play in the preseason and the fact that the stars don’t play that much. THE PRESEASON IS NOT FOR FANS. It is for coaches and players to get ready for the year. We, as fans, are merely observers in that process, a process that is essential to developing future NFL stars and to insuring a high quality product during the regular season. Preseason games may not count but they are important.
Yes, as a fan, I would love more NFL games. An 18 game schedule in the NFL is a complex, multi-faceted issue with long ramifications for the league and the players. It can simply be summed up as, will this be too much of a good thing?
Showing posts with label Bucs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bucs. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
NFL Predictions
Here are my predictions for the upcoming NFL season:
National Football Conference
East- Dallas Cowboys-They are clearly the class of this division. It remains a tough division but not like in years past. Cowboys have the most talent, they now just need to have the desire too. This will also be Tony Romo’s year to move from a very good quarterback to an elite quarterback.
South- New Orleans Saints- The NFC South is Twilight Zone of NFL divisions with it propensity for worst to first divisional champions but not this year. Tampa Bay will not go worst to first but the defending champions will edge the Falcons for divisional supremacy.
North- Green Bay Packers- With or without Brett Favre leading the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers have the most talent in the division on both sides of the ball and a chip on their shoulder after the way the season ended last year. The Packers’ defense will be even more comfortable in their second year under defensive coordinator, Dom Capers. Aaron Rodgers will contend for his first NFL MVP award.
West- San Francisco 49ers- The 49ers will win the NFC West. The Niners have a strong running game, defense, and Alex Smith is developing into a game manager. The Cardinals, with Matt Leinart at quarterback, could be a mess on offense and have also taken a step back on defense as well. This is clearly the Niners’ division to lose.
Wildcard 1- Atlanta Falcons are ready to step back into the spotlight after missing the playoffs last year (though they did have a winning record). A healthy Michael Turner will be the difference.
Wildcard 2- Minnesota Vikings do have injuries and uncertainty to the receiving corps (Sidney Rice will miss at least half of the season after hip surgery and Percy Harvin continues to struggle mightly with migraines) which are beginning to worry me and should worry the Vikes as well. Favre will be asked to put the ball in Adrian Peterson’s hands more than last year which could mean more balls on the turf and more tension between Favre and Brad Childress over play calling.
On the outside looking in will be two NFC East team the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.
American Football Conference
East- New England Patriots- To be the best, you have to beat the best. The Jets are not ready for primetime (unless you count primetime TV), I’ve blogged on that before. The Patriots have the motivation and talent to continue to win the division. Tom Brady will have an incredible year (huge chip on his shoulder). Miami will be improved and the Jets are solid (not spectacular) so the division remains one of the toughest in football.
South- Indianapolis Colts- The AFC South remains one of the toughest divisions. The Texans are solid, as are the Titans, and Jags can cause some matchup problems. The Colts, the Atlanta Braves of the NFL, are the NFL model for consistency and will win yet another division title. The question for the Colts, just as it was with the Braves, is what will they do in the playoffs.
North- Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals won the division late year with a struggling offense. This year they have a rejuvenated offense (see Terrell Owens, Jordan Shipley, Jermaine Gresham) and the defense remains solid. The Ravens have injuries in the secondary that will keep them from winning the AFC North, they will make the playoffs. The Steelers will make a run at the end of the year but it is shaping up as uphill battle for Pittsburgh.
West- San Diego Chargers- Ah, the AFC West, remains the one of the worst in football (what is it with the western divisions in the NFL). The Chargers remain the class of a bad division. The Raiders (yes, the Oakland Raiders) will finish second in the division.
Wildcard 1- Baltimore Ravens have an upgraded offense with the additions of Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth at receiver. The concern remains the health and depth of the secondary.
Wildcard 2- New York Jets are stout on defense. They still need Darrelle Revis in camp. The question, as I’ve posed before, is how much will Mark Sanchez improve and how will the receiving corps gel particularly given the 5 games worth of suspensions that Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes will need to serve.
On the outside looking in will be the Houston Texans (again) and the Miami Dolphins. Houston could get into the playoffs, I think they are very close and could get in as a wildcard but they will not win the AFC South
I will post my playoff and Super Bowl predictions the day before the NFL Season starts. Here’s a hint, I'm leaning towards a NFC North team versus a AFC South team in the Super Bowl in Dallas, Texas in February 2011.
Through My Head: Random Musings
In the current issue of Sports Illustrated there is a three article feature on the NFL running back. It is insightful and in many ways gut wrenching as it focuses on the physical toll the position puts on the human body as well as the expendable nature of the leagues runners. One of the articles, by Tim Layden, focuses on Gale Sayers. The article hits the normal points associated with Sayers his prodigious talent and his shortened career. The story begins with Sayers 2009 knee replacement surgery. The surgeon, Mark Klaassen, reported the following on Sayer’s knee:
Three long scars, one running down the front of the knee, another on the inside and a third on the outside, curling around to the back. These were from decades-old open surgeries ... Inside the knee Klaassen found carnage. Sayers' anterior cruciate ligament was gone; the posterior cruciate ligament was stretched and frayed. There was evidence that the medial collateral ligament had been sewn or stapled at some point in an effort to create stability (a practice common at one time but later found to be ineffective)… A half-inch wedge of his tibia had been sawed off in an osteotomy, a surgical procedure designed to redistribute weight away from an arthritic surface. Almost no cartilage remained, and as a result, the joint was filled with dust and fragments from bones rubbing together for many years. It was not the worst knee Klaassen had ever seen. But it was by far the worst on which the owner had been actively exercising.
What an amazing (albeit nauseating) testament to the physical punishment of the NFL but also of the spirit, will, and pain threshold of Gale Sayers.
National Football Conference
East- Dallas Cowboys-They are clearly the class of this division. It remains a tough division but not like in years past. Cowboys have the most talent, they now just need to have the desire too. This will also be Tony Romo’s year to move from a very good quarterback to an elite quarterback.
South- New Orleans Saints- The NFC South is Twilight Zone of NFL divisions with it propensity for worst to first divisional champions but not this year. Tampa Bay will not go worst to first but the defending champions will edge the Falcons for divisional supremacy.
North- Green Bay Packers- With or without Brett Favre leading the Minnesota Vikings, the Packers have the most talent in the division on both sides of the ball and a chip on their shoulder after the way the season ended last year. The Packers’ defense will be even more comfortable in their second year under defensive coordinator, Dom Capers. Aaron Rodgers will contend for his first NFL MVP award.
West- San Francisco 49ers- The 49ers will win the NFC West. The Niners have a strong running game, defense, and Alex Smith is developing into a game manager. The Cardinals, with Matt Leinart at quarterback, could be a mess on offense and have also taken a step back on defense as well. This is clearly the Niners’ division to lose.
Wildcard 1- Atlanta Falcons are ready to step back into the spotlight after missing the playoffs last year (though they did have a winning record). A healthy Michael Turner will be the difference.
Wildcard 2- Minnesota Vikings do have injuries and uncertainty to the receiving corps (Sidney Rice will miss at least half of the season after hip surgery and Percy Harvin continues to struggle mightly with migraines) which are beginning to worry me and should worry the Vikes as well. Favre will be asked to put the ball in Adrian Peterson’s hands more than last year which could mean more balls on the turf and more tension between Favre and Brad Childress over play calling.
On the outside looking in will be two NFC East team the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.
American Football Conference
East- New England Patriots- To be the best, you have to beat the best. The Jets are not ready for primetime (unless you count primetime TV), I’ve blogged on that before. The Patriots have the motivation and talent to continue to win the division. Tom Brady will have an incredible year (huge chip on his shoulder). Miami will be improved and the Jets are solid (not spectacular) so the division remains one of the toughest in football.
South- Indianapolis Colts- The AFC South remains one of the toughest divisions. The Texans are solid, as are the Titans, and Jags can cause some matchup problems. The Colts, the Atlanta Braves of the NFL, are the NFL model for consistency and will win yet another division title. The question for the Colts, just as it was with the Braves, is what will they do in the playoffs.
North- Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals won the division late year with a struggling offense. This year they have a rejuvenated offense (see Terrell Owens, Jordan Shipley, Jermaine Gresham) and the defense remains solid. The Ravens have injuries in the secondary that will keep them from winning the AFC North, they will make the playoffs. The Steelers will make a run at the end of the year but it is shaping up as uphill battle for Pittsburgh.
West- San Diego Chargers- Ah, the AFC West, remains the one of the worst in football (what is it with the western divisions in the NFL). The Chargers remain the class of a bad division. The Raiders (yes, the Oakland Raiders) will finish second in the division.
Wildcard 1- Baltimore Ravens have an upgraded offense with the additions of Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth at receiver. The concern remains the health and depth of the secondary.
Wildcard 2- New York Jets are stout on defense. They still need Darrelle Revis in camp. The question, as I’ve posed before, is how much will Mark Sanchez improve and how will the receiving corps gel particularly given the 5 games worth of suspensions that Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes will need to serve.
On the outside looking in will be the Houston Texans (again) and the Miami Dolphins. Houston could get into the playoffs, I think they are very close and could get in as a wildcard but they will not win the AFC South
I will post my playoff and Super Bowl predictions the day before the NFL Season starts. Here’s a hint, I'm leaning towards a NFC North team versus a AFC South team in the Super Bowl in Dallas, Texas in February 2011.
Through My Head: Random Musings
In the current issue of Sports Illustrated there is a three article feature on the NFL running back. It is insightful and in many ways gut wrenching as it focuses on the physical toll the position puts on the human body as well as the expendable nature of the leagues runners. One of the articles, by Tim Layden, focuses on Gale Sayers. The article hits the normal points associated with Sayers his prodigious talent and his shortened career. The story begins with Sayers 2009 knee replacement surgery. The surgeon, Mark Klaassen, reported the following on Sayer’s knee:
Three long scars, one running down the front of the knee, another on the inside and a third on the outside, curling around to the back. These were from decades-old open surgeries ... Inside the knee Klaassen found carnage. Sayers' anterior cruciate ligament was gone; the posterior cruciate ligament was stretched and frayed. There was evidence that the medial collateral ligament had been sewn or stapled at some point in an effort to create stability (a practice common at one time but later found to be ineffective)… A half-inch wedge of his tibia had been sawed off in an osteotomy, a surgical procedure designed to redistribute weight away from an arthritic surface. Almost no cartilage remained, and as a result, the joint was filled with dust and fragments from bones rubbing together for many years. It was not the worst knee Klaassen had ever seen. But it was by far the worst on which the owner had been actively exercising.
What an amazing (albeit nauseating) testament to the physical punishment of the NFL but also of the spirit, will, and pain threshold of Gale Sayers.
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