NFL Will Play In 2011: 15 Reasons Why Pro Football Will Happen In 2011
It’s been pretty quiet in regards to Falcons news, so I decided to post something that I wrote about in regards to the NFL playing football in 2011 and the reasons for why it will happen.
For anyone that is worried that there won’t be NFL football in 2011, stop worrying. The owners and players are too smart for there not to be a football season in 2011.
The television contracts, the stadiums, the player’s contracts; everything that is involved in the NFL season just can’t go to waste.
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires in March. While this deal won’t reach that deadline, there is no reason to think that there won’t be NFL football in 2011.
So here are 15 reasons there will be football in 2011.
15. the Steelers and Bears Played Their 18th Game This Past Weekend
Let’s start with something that is happening this weekend.
That’s right, the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers are playing in their 18th game this season, or 22nd if you include the preseason games.
So it can be done. Sure, a Bears player could get injured, but he could have been injured in any of the previous games.
These are football players and they want to play football. They will play 25 games if it means they can be crowned Super Bowl Champions.
The Bears and Steelers are playing in their 18th game. Wait and read what the Jets and Packers are doing this upcoming weekend.
14. An 18 Game Regular Season
Yes, it can happen.
18 games is a realistic number if the NFL takes steps that I will outline later.
The fact is some teams already play 18 games, and those teams end up with Super Bowl banners hanging in their home stadium.
Sure, there is the risk of injury, but the NFL will need to do a couple more to ensure this change goes smoothly.
14. Two Less Preseason Games
And Thank Goodness.
College Football teams don’t get any preseason games, yet an opening week loss ruins their chances at winning a title. I am not going to argue for a college football playoff here.
These preseason games are meaningless. One NFL team sells tickets for $5 dollars a piece.
Season ticket holders are screwed over because they have to pay the full price for the preseason games. With two less preseason games, everyone wins. The owners, the coaches, the players, and the fans win as well.
Right off the bat, there aren’t any games being added, just being subtracted in the area where games don’t matter and added in the area where games do matter.
And for coaches that need four games to evaluate players, your job will be easier because of the next two steps.
13. Expanded 53 Man Roster
With two additional games in the NFL, there will have to be additional roster space.
The reason for this is that with more games, there is a greater risk of injury. So, one way to combat that is by adding more players to each respected team.
The 53-man roster needs to be expanded, and for the NFL to have a successful transition to the 18-game schedule, the rosters would have to be expanded from 53 to 58-61.
They will also need to…
12. Expanded Gameday Roster
The NFL limits you to dressing 45 players every week. Counting the starters on both sides of the ball and including specialists, that leaves you with 16 open spots.
If there was an 18-game schedule, the owners would be able to generate more revenue. This would make it possible for them to afford more players.
If the NFL wants to implement a successful 18-game regular season, they will have to expand the gameday roster from 45 to 53.
11. Two Bye Weeks
With an 18-game schedule, the NFL would have to add another bye week. This will give teams another breather during their extended season.
This will help curve the risk of injury in playing those two additional games. The NFL is extremely concerned with safety and if they want to move towards an 18-game season, they will have to add a second bye week.
10. Three More Weeks of Meaningful Football
And here is why:
Right now there are 17 weeks of meaningful football in the regular season.
If you add two more games to make it a 18-game season, and if you add another bye week, you will end up with 20 weeks of regular season football.
That means including the playoffs, there will be 24 weeks of exciting NFL action.
The fans are the major winners for this example, and this also means three more weeks of fantasy football.
9. Rookie Wage Scale
This is something that needs to be put in place—right now.
Teams are giving players in the first round more money than proven stars in the NFL.
I find it hard for the NFLPA not to agree to this, because they represent players that are currently in the league. Those are the players that will benefit the most.
There is no reason why this should be an argument when this deal gets negotiated.
8. the Jets and Packers Played Their 19th Game This Past Weekend
I told you I was going to get to it.
The Packers and Jets both won their 18th game of the season, and they did it on the road in the playoffs.
Sure they lost to the better regular season team, but they still managed to get through all the injuries and they made it to their Conference Championships.
There is no reason why 18 games is too much, the Jets and Packers have already played 18.
7. More Exposure Outside of the Country
Because the NFL and NFLPA will agree to an 18-game regular season, this will mean the the NFL can expand it’s brand around the world.
An expanded schedule would give more leeway to scheduling more games outside the country.
Now, most teams don’t want to lose a home game; the addition of the two games will help ease the pain.
It is important that if you want your product to become more popular, you will need to market it in more areas. And by the NFL playing games outside the country, that is exactly what they are doing.
6. Cutback of Off-Season and Training Camp Workouts
I went through two-a-days in high school, and I couldn’t imagine what they would be like in the NFL. This will be another step that will take place that will reduce the chances of injury.
Although you need to practice well to win games, a shortened practice schedule will benefit the players in that they will be healthier.
I don’t think the actual gameplay will be affected simply because these athletes are too good and they are too smart.
5. the NFL Isnt Stupid
If the NFL doesn’t agree with the NFLPA, we might be stuck watching Roger Goodell trying to play football.
If there was no football, he would be the one that everyone would put the blame on, right or wrong.
The NFL owners and the NFL itself are just too smart for a deal not to be agreed on. This deal will get done, and it might drag on throughout the summer.
Sure, the NFL owners are greedy just like the players. But an agreement will be made, the parties involved just have too much money at stake to lose.
They would be better off giving the other side all of what it wants then not agreeing to a new CBA.
4. the NFLPA Isn’t Stupid
DaMaurice Smith wants an agreement to be made, just like Roger Goodell and the owners want an agreement to be made.
Even though the owners are greedy, the players are greedy as well. They all want the money that is coming from this great sport of football.
The players won’t be affected until September when the game checks don’t come in. They are the ones with the leverage. Until then, I would be shocked if an agreement happened anytime soon.
But an agreement will still happen, and I would be more shocked if the NFL and NFLPA didn’t agree to a new deal.
3. the Fans
The NFL just wouldn’t do this to us.
We care about this game way too much and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The NFL is a game for the fans, and we invest way too much time and money into this sport for it not to happen.
This will happen, and I am not worried about it. I can’t wait for the NFL to start in 2011, and I just know that a deal will get done.
2. What Else Will We All Do?
Watch baseball? Hockey? Basketball?
What other league would we watch? Sure, we have college football, but would we be stuck watching bowling on Sunday afternoons?
The NFL and the owners know that a deal has to get done; the NFLPA knows that a deal has to get done. There is just no way that a deal doesn’t get done, regardless of how greedy the NFL is.
1. More Chances to See the Cowboys Lose
Come one now, you know I had to take a jab at the team I love to see lose. You know I had to write at least one homer-esque slide, so here it is.
I am not very fond of the Cowboys, and their recent success in the playoffs has upset me. But there is nothing greater than watching the Cowboys lose.
I know this isn’t a legitimate reason, but I figured I add some comic relief to this whole mess.
Bottom line: The NFL and NFLPA will come to an agreement, and fans shouldn’t worry until after a game isn’t played