Concerns about the NFL

[wdm1219inpenna]

Not to cause any alarm, but I usually focus more and more on the NFL this time of year especially. I love the NFL playoffs, as do millions of Americans.

I just wanted to air out a "laundry list" of worries I have about the NFL.

I fear the Buffalo Bills are not going to be able to sustain in the future. Already they are hosting 1 game in Toronto as it is. The city is a smaller market, and it seems more and more people are moving away from there. I have some concerns and sadness about the future of this original AFL franchise.

32 teams in the NFL seems to be an ideal number. The 8 realigned divisions since 2002 seem to be about as ideal as possible, both for geography and for fans of long-standing rivalries (thus the Cowboys remain in the NFC East). I have concerns that the league will eventually expand again, and it would tend to foul up what seems to be the most perfect balance ever achieved in this league's history. 33 teams or 34 teams would really foul things up. 32 seems perfect. Couple that with a dilution of talent with over-expansion, and that's another reason I'm concerned. Also, I fear Roger Goddell's statement from 2006 when he spoke of the possibility of an NFL franchise being placed outside the USA. It's understandable too that the concern would be that the Bills move to Toronto. The only good thing about that would be it would not foul up the AFC East geographically, as opposed to the Bills moving to L.A.

Lack of an L.A. team. During the 2009 Rose Bowl (which I stopped watching as it's a blowout as I figured it would be), Brent Musberger mentioned that due to a lack of an LA team for the NFL, the USC Trojans are "rock stars" in this area. It seems every year, before the Super Bowl, when the commish has his state of the league address, that question always comes up about when will LA get a team?

Adding a 17th game to the regular season. I guess I'm somewhat "old" school, and would not prefer any more games to be added. The 16 games seems to be plenty for the regular season. It's worked since 1978, with the exception of 1982 and 1987 when there were abbreviated seasons, and I'd prefer that a 17th game to be played at a "neutral" site not take place. I know it's up to the commish, the owners and the players' union too, but I pray an extra week in a "neutral" site won't happen.

A regular season game being played overseas disturbs me. I'd much rather they play the Pro Bowl overseas, that way most if not all of the 32 NFL teams would be featured, and some of the game's greatest stars would be showcased.

NFL players off field troubles continuing. In spite of the commissioner's code of conduct, there still exists trouble with the likes of Pacman Jones & Plaxico Burress, just to name 2. I am cautiously hopeful that the players will get their collective acts together.

Officiating. It seems the officiating is becoming more and more questionable with each passing season. It seems too that the officials seem like they can be, and more often than not, are bailed out by the replay system. I fear that having that challenge system in place is almost like a "safety net" for these officials anymore. Furthermore, why is it that the NFL cannot or will not make these referees full time employees? The coaches & players work almost 12 months a year now, to maintain a competetive edge, why not the officials?

Television. The NFL now airs 8 or so regular season games each year. One can only suspect that this number may increase in the future. For those who either do not have cable, nor can afford the luxury of acquiring the network as part of a package, it seems the love and passion for the game could potentially dwindle. Endless commercial interruptions have made the flow of these games practically non-existant, and that concerns me too. I realize television is the main cash cow for the league, but it is becoming more and more frustrating every season.

Thank you for allowing me to share and air out my concerns. I have the address for the commissioner's office, no reason why I cannot place all of these concerns in a letter to him. I doubt it would do much good, if any at all, but not trying at all would definitely do no good.

[The_Admiral]

The NFL needs not your concerns, for they are a heartless monolith. Their commercials that use Morrissey songs, or the ones that say I WANT THAT!!! or BUY MORE THINGS!!! while an NFL shield pulsates like it has a heart may fool you, but no, heartless.

I fear the Buffalo Bills are not going to be able to sustain in the future. Already they are hosting 1 game in Toronto as it is. The city is a smaller market, and it seems more and more people are moving away from there. I have some concerns and sadness about the future of this original AFL franchise.

Yeah, the future is sketchy for dem dere Bills dere, but I think they'll find local ownership and enough support to fool people into thinking it's still a viable market. You know the move where they do a Save Our ____s ticket drive and get enough money to stay in town, but then the support dwindles? The Preds did this, the Bills will too. They should fire Dick Jauron. Not that it will help them stay in Buffalo, but just because.

32 teams in the NFL seems to be an ideal number. The 8 realigned divisions since 2002 seem to be about as ideal as possible, both for geography and for fans of long-standing rivalries (thus the Cowboys remain in the NFC East). I have concerns that the league will eventually expand again, and it would tend to foul up what seems to be the most perfect balance ever achieved in this league's history. 33 teams or 34 teams would really foul things up. 32 seems perfect. Couple that with a dilution of talent with over-expansion, and that's another reason I'm concerned. Also, I fear Roger Goddell's statement from 2006 when he spoke of the possibility of an NFL franchise being placed outside the USA. It's understandable too that the concern would be that the Bills move to Toronto. The only good thing about that would be it would not foul up the AFC East geographically, as opposed to the Bills moving to L.A.

I don't think anything will come of this. The NFL games in Toronto and London (the British one) weren't exactly smashing successes, were they? They're just force-feeding football to unwilling markets. It's just a phase, it will not last.

Lack of an L.A. team. During the 2009 Rose Bowl (which I stopped watching as it's a blowout as I figured it would be), Brent Musberger mentioned that due to a lack of an LA team for the NFL, the USC Trojans are "rock stars" in this area. It seems every year, before the Super Bowl, when the commish has his state of the league address, that question always comes up about when will LA get a team?

They're doing fine without a Los Angeles team, but I'd like to see them get the Rams back. I hope they do.

Adding a 17th game to the regular season. I guess I'm somewhat "old" school, and would not prefer any more games to be added. The 16 games seems to be plenty for the regular season. It's worked since 1978, with the exception of 1982 and 1987 when there were abbreviated seasons, and I'd prefer that a 17th game to be played at a "neutral" site not take place. I know it's up to the commish, the owners and the players' union too, but I pray an extra week in a "neutral" site won't happen.

I think we're gonna get that 17th game in lieu of a 4th preseason game whether we want it or not. It will flop.

A regular season game being played overseas disturbs me. I'd much rather they play the Pro Bowl overseas, that way most if not all of the 32 NFL teams would be featured, and some of the game's greatest stars would be showcased.

I don't like it either, especially since Goodell wants every city to eventually give up a home game to the British or whoever. So far it's been Arizona (pre-Pink Taco, though), Miami, New Orleans, and next year Tampa Bay. Fair to poor markets until Tampa Bay, which I would say is a good one. What happens when Green Bay's number is up? Dallas? Chicago? You're taking a game away from them to further convince a city that all things being equal would rather watch Arsenal to buy NFL crap? That's gonna piss a lot of people off. Haha, the Pro Bowl doesn't showcase the game's greatest stars. Nai-eeeeve.

NFL players off field troubles continuing. In spite of the commissioner's code of conduct, there still exists trouble with the likes of Pacman Jones & Plaxico Burress, just to name 2. I am cautiously hopeful that the players will get their collective acts together.

I wouldn't bet on it but I don't gamble.

Officiating. It seems the officiating is becoming more and more questionable with each passing season. It seems too that the officials seem like they can be, and more often than not, are bailed out by the replay system. I fear that having that challenge system in place is almost like a "safety net" for these officials anymore. Furthermore, why is it that the NFL cannot or will not make these referees full time employees? The coaches & players work almost 12 months a year now, to maintain a competetive edge, why not the officials?

What do you want, an offseason encroachment-calling regimen? Death/taxes/lousy officiating. We're just better equipped to see bad calls with HDTV, or we think we are.

Television. The NFL now airs 8 or so regular season games each year. One can only suspect that this number may increase in the future. For those who either do not have cable, nor can afford the luxury of acquiring the network as part of a package, it seems the love and passion for the game could potentially dwindle. Endless commercial interruptions have made the flow of these games practically non-existant, and that concerns me too. I realize television is the main cash cow for the league, but it is becoming more and more frustrating every season.

NFL Network will only get more games, the production values won't go up, and TV-timeouts will keep increasing. C'est la vie.

[oddball]

LA doesn't need or want an NFL team. If anything it's the NFL that needs the LA market, or so the media tells us so. Look, we're perfectly fine without an NFL team. We had two of the worst owners ever, in Georgia "The _itch" and Al "In my own world" Davis. Screw the NFL. I don't want that boring product. It's just over-hype and they can keep it.

[BBTV]

I fear the Buffalo Bills are not going to be able to sustain in the future.

Unfortunately, not every market can support top-tier pro sports. Buffalo's problem could turn into some other market's opportunity. Buffalo is certainly a great football town, but if it can't generate the revenues that are needed in today's NFL, it has to go.

I have concerns that the league will eventually expand again, and it would tend to foul up what seems to be the most perfect balance ever achieved in this league's history.

See above. I cannot see the NFL expanding any time soon. There could be a series of franchise shifts though, notably Buffalo, Minnesota, and Jacksonville.

Lack of an L.A. team.

Also see above. Once a deal is in place to build a new stadium, one of these "troubled" markets will instantly lose their team to LA. Of course, I don't see the lack of an LA team as a problem, but I'm sure that the league desperately wants to be in that market.

Adding a 17th game to the regular season.

There is too much that would have to be worked out with the union in the next CBA to make this happen, so I think that we will have 16 games through at least the next CBA. I too hope that this number doesn't change.

A regular season game being played overseas disturbs me.

I don't think this is a big deal at all. I don't care for it either, but it's hardly something to get worked up about.

NFL players off field troubles continuing.

Wasn't this a pretty quiet year until Plaxico? And don't think that he won't be "dealt" with.

Officiating. It seems the officiating is becoming more and more questionable with each passing season.

Agreed. The officiating is not good. I'm not sure that making them full time is the answer though. Maybe just more accountability, or figure out a way to reply penalties. There is not much worse than a phantom pass interference penalty screwing your team. They should be able to review those just like anything else.

Television. The NFL now airs 8 or so regular season games each year. One can only suspect that this number may increase in the future. For those who either do not have cable, nor can afford the luxury of acquiring the network as part of a package, it seems the love and passion for the game could potentially dwindle.

If you don't have cable or can't afford the NFL network, then you are unlikely to buy all of the products that they are marketing towards you, therefore you don't matter (to them.) More games than ever are on TV, so I look at all of this as a good thing. The days of being locked into whatever your network affiliates give you are over.

[dfwabel]

So you had four threads in 2008 and now you start one the first day of 2009. Shut the F up! Those which want to reply on this board do. Please stop it as Roger will never look at the mess you have to say every other month. Stop it.

[Gary]

So you had four threads in 2008 and now you start one the first day of 2009. Shut the F up! Those which want to reply on this board do. Please stop it as Roger will never look at the mess you have to say every other month. Stop it.

But yet that is why there is a board, so we can express our concerns, true Roger will never see it, but yet it's our right to express why the NFL is great and screwed up at the same time.

[dfwabel]

So you had four threads in 2008 and now you start one the first day of 2009. Shut the F up! Those which want to reply on this board do. Please stop it as Roger will never look at the mess you have to say every other month. Stop it.

Edit: If you dislike the NFL so much, you should take up knitting. Even after I gave you your started threads about your own NFL hatred, you decided to make another one after a week. Stop it. Get over it and move on! I don't thank you as you have no concept of the space/time continuum.

[baseballking99]

Roger Goodell concerns me.

[dfwabel]

So you had four threads in 2008 and now you start one the first day of 2009. Shut the F up! Those which want to reply on this board do. Please stop it as Roger will never look at the mess you have to say every other month. Stop it.

But yet that is why there is a board, so we can express our concerns, true Roger will never see it, but yet it's our right to express why the NFL is great and screwed up at the same time.

Every week when one cannot even find their own tread? Hence one must start another? If (s)he has so much dislike for the NFL, the they should make their own blog or page like Tank.

[TC]

Television. The NFL now airs 8 or so regular season games each year. One can only suspect that this number may increase in the future. For those who either do not have cable, nor can afford the luxury of acquiring the network as part of a package, it seems the love and passion for the game could potentially dwindle. Endless commercial interruptions have made the flow of these games practically non-existant, and that concerns me too. I realize television is the main cash cow for the league, but it is becoming more and more frustrating every season.

Eight games a year? Two games on CBS, two on FOX, and one on NBC = five games per Sunday. Why would you only get eight?

[rams80]

Television. The NFL now airs 8 or so regular season games each year. One can only suspect that this number may increase in the future. For those who either do not have cable, nor can afford the luxury of acquiring the network as part of a package, it seems the love and passion for the game could potentially dwindle. Endless commercial interruptions have made the flow of these games practically non-existant, and that concerns me too. I realize television is the main cash cow for the league, but it is becoming more and more frustrating every season.

Eight games a year? Two games on CBS, two on FOX, and one on NBC = five games per Sunday. Why would you only get eight?

I assume he was referencing the NFL Network games.

Personally, I've learned to use the Internet to follow my team, since following via the TV seems to be a pipe dream right now.

[The_Admiral]

I don't thank you as you have no concept of the space/time continuum.

I'm using this line next time I get bad service at a restaurant. "Tip? You don't get a tip. You have no concept of the space/time continuum."

[Mac the Knife]

Buffalo's toast as an NFL city. It's not a question of 'if', but 'when.' The answer to 'when' is when Ralph Wilson dies and open bidding starts on the franchise. Someone with an LA or Toronto mindset is going to bid a staggering figure that takes everyone else aback, and that'll be it for the Buffalo Bills, who along with the other original AFL clubs will celebrate their 50th season this year.

If the NFL expands again, they should go ahead and add four new teams at once - two in Los Angeles (presuming there's not one there by then), one in Toronto, and one in Mexico City. Realign so you have two conferences of 18 teams - six divisions of six teams each. There's enough football talent to fill 40-50 team rosters; you can't go worse than 0-16-0, and that's been done by a team that was around for over 75 years.

Add not one, but two games to the regular season, bringing the total to 18. Preseason games are pointless, and the only thing I wonder about when watching one is if I'm going to see Star Player X go down for the season with some injury that he could've avoided by either (i) not playing in a meaningless game, or (ii) going full-out as if it were a game with some meaning. Add two games. If you want one at a neutral site and the other out of the country, so be it. Those're comparatively fads anyway.

[infrared41]

So you had four threads in 2008 and now you start one the first day of 2009. Shut the F up! Those which want to reply on this board do. Please stop it as Roger will never look at the mess you have to say every other month. Stop it.

Yet you took the necessary time to not only read it, you also replied in it...multiple times. You and Oddball should go out on a date or something. You both seem to enjoy being heads.

On topic. LA not having a team is not an issue. Period. Buffalo should hope that their team only moves to Toronto. That's probably the best case scenario for them right now. NFL officiating would have to show a vast improvement to reach "questionable." God awful is the term I would have used.

[The_Admiral]

Any data for how many blackouts there were this year? Did Buffalo get to air all eight? I know Detroit had two or three.

[buzzcut]

Any data for how many blackouts there were this year? Did Buffalo get to air all eight? I know Detroit had two or three.

From NFL Distribution Maps:

2008 blackouts (9-thus far):

Week 16 (12/21) NO-Det, SF-StL, Hou-Oak

Week 15 (12/14) Sea-StL

Week 14 (12/7) Min-Det

Week 12 (11/23) TB-Det

Week 8 (10/26) Wash-Det

Week 10 (11/9) Jax-Det, Car-Oak

[BrySmalls]

Any data for how many blackouts there were this year? Did Buffalo get to air all eight? I know Detroit had two or three.

From NFL Distribution Maps:

2008 blackouts (9-thus far):

Week 16 (12/21) NO-Det, SF-StL, Hou-Oak

Week 15 (12/14) Sea-StL

Week 14 (12/7) Min-Det

Week 12 (11/23) TB-Det

Week 8 (10/26) Wash-Det

Week 10 (11/9) Jax-Det, Car-Oak

Link fixed.