Sources: Owners push for an expanded season

botfly10

CCS Donator
Donator
Joined:
Jun 19, 2011
Posts:
32,868
Liked Posts:
26,844
Sources: Owners push for an expanded season

NFL owners continue to push for an expanded season even as players continue to demonstrate little appetite for such an idea, Dan Graziano of ESPN reports.

Sources who have been briefed on the current state of CBA negotiations said that there's been little substantive progress in talks so far. The players' side is determined to up its share of the revenue pool in the next CBA, while the owners so far have indicated that they're not interested in discussing the revenue split absent a discussion of possible expansion of the season.

No concrete proposals have been submitted by the owners' side regarding the specifics of an expanded season, the sources said. Ideas that have been discussed include expanding the regular season to 18 games, expanding the regular season to 17 game or simply adding an extra round of playoffs. All of those concepts would include a reduction in the number of preseason games - an idea both sides favor. Currently, 30 of the 32 teams play four preseason games each season (two get selected each year to play in an extra, fifth preseason game in connection with the Hall of Fame induction), and even the commissioner has in the past described the preseason as a substandard product. But since they are sold as part of season ticket packages, preseason games do represent a revenue source for teams, and they don't want to give them up without adding regular-season or postseason games in exchange.

But to this point, it's unclear what kind of regular-season or postseason modification the owners ultimately will seek. Discussions in recent weeks with sources on the ownership side have indicated that different owners feel differently about the idea of an expanded season, and while some want to push for 18 games, others would be more comfortable with expanding the playoff field instead. Expanded playoffs are an idea that sources on the players' side have indicated they would consider.

Owners and players met Monday night and were scheduled to meet again Tuesday in Chicago - the second week in a row they have held face-to-face discussions. The schedule for further negotiations is unclear and could depend on what, if any progress is made Tuesday. The owners have expressed a desire to have a new agreement in place before the start of the 2019 season, but since that is now only nine days away, optimism on that front appears to be on the wane.


 

botfly10

CCS Donator
Donator
Joined:
Jun 19, 2011
Posts:
32,868
Liked Posts:
26,844
Sources: Owners push for an expanded season

NFL owners continue to push for an expanded season even as players continue to demonstrate little appetite for such an idea.

Sources who have been briefed on the current state of CBA negotiations told ESPN that there has been little substantive progress in talks so far. The players' side is determined to up its share of the revenue pool in the next CBA, while the owners so far have indicated that they're not interested in discussing the revenue split absent a discussion on the possibility of expanding the season.

No concrete proposals have been submitted by the owners' side regarding the specifics of an expanded season, the sources said. Ideas that have been discussed include expanding the regular season to 18 games, expanding the regular season to 17 games or simply adding an extra round of playoffs. All of those concepts would include a reduction in the number of preseason games -- an idea both sides favor.

Currently, 30 of the 32 teams play four preseason games each year (two get selected to play in a fifth preseason game in connection with the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies), and even the commissioner has in the past described the preseason as a substandard product. But since they are sold as part of season-ticket packages, preseason games do represent a revenue source for teams, and they don't want to give them up without adding regular-season or postseason games in exchange.

To this point, it's unclear what kind of regular-season or postseason modification the owners ultimately will seek. Discussions in recent weeks with sources on the ownership side have indicated that owners are split on how to expand the season, and while some want to push for 18 games, others would be more comfortable with expanding the playoff field instead. Expanded playoffs are an idea that sources on the players' side have indicated they would consider.

The players, however, don't appear to be as interested in regular-season expansion, and one source familiar with the talks said Andrew Luck's retirement announcement Saturday night has had an effect on their mindset. Players already were disinclined to consider an expansion of the season, and days after one of the game's brightest stars walked away at age 29 because of the physical toll he sustained playing the game, the players' appetite for more games is even lower.

It's possible the owners could offer a generous enough financial concession to get the players to consider it, but to this point there has been no movement on the big-picture financial aspect of the negotiations -- i.e., the revenue split between players and owners. The current collective bargaining agreement, signed in 2011, stipulates that the players' share of all league revenue may not fall below 47 percent in any year of the deal. The deal expires in March 2021.

Owners and players met Monday night and were scheduled to meet again Tuesday in Chicago -- the second week in a row they have held face-to-face discussions. The schedule for further negotiations is unclear and could depend on what progress is made Tuesday. The owners have expressed a desire to have a new agreement in place before the start of the 2019 season, but since that is now only nine days away, optimism on that front appears to be on the wane.

 

ZOMBIE@CTESPN

Well-known member
Joined:
Dec 19, 2012
Posts:
17,907
Liked Posts:
19,548
Location:
MICHIGAN
I would rather have expanded regular season than expanded playoffs. Don’t turn nfl playoffs into the first few worthless rounds of the nba playoffs.

But over all I want them to just keep things as is and maybe just cut preseason games or start a minor league and make those games the preseason. Starters have no business participating in that crap
 

Penny Traitor

バカでも才能は一つ
Staff member
Donator
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
11,189
Liked Posts:
17,019
Location:
Chicago
How about....

Two Preseason Games

One Extra Home Game

One Extra Regular Season Bye Week

Zero Playoff Byes
 

iueyedoc

Variant Also Negotiates
Donator
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
20,763
Liked Posts:
29,474
Location:
Mountains to Sea
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Chicago Blackhawks
  1. Indiana Hoosiers
How about....

Two Preseason Games

One Extra Home Game

One Extra Regular Season Bye Week

Zero Playoff Byes
How does every team get an extra home game without adding 2 games? Do they all play an NFL version of the Washington Generals?:smug2:
 

Rory Sparrow

Well-known member
Joined:
Aug 14, 2010
Posts:
4,850
Liked Posts:
3,735
How does every team get an extra home game without adding 2 games? Do they all play an NFL version of the Washington Generals?:smug2:

5069C9D700000578-6186059-image-a-112_1537384099293.jpg
 

Penny Traitor

バカでも才能は一つ
Staff member
Donator
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
11,189
Liked Posts:
17,019
Location:
Chicago
How does every team get an extra home game without adding 2 games? Do they all play an NFL version of the Washington Generals?:smug2:

XFL teams of course. Vince is getting it right this time!
 

bears51/40

Well-known member
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
4,333
Liked Posts:
3,320
I like the idea of a 17 game season. That extra game at a neutral site so no one loses a home game.
 

sevvy

Get rich, or try dying
Donator
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
13,098
Liked Posts:
21,704
Location:
Charlotte, NC
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Bears
How does every team get an extra home game without adding 2 games? Do they all play an NFL version of the Washington Generals?:smug2:


Lol. I was thinking the same thing.
 

Penny Traitor

バカでも才能は一つ
Staff member
Donator
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
11,189
Liked Posts:
17,019
Location:
Chicago
I liked the idea of expanding it to a 17 game season and making the extra game a neutral site game.

If they are insisting to take more of these games international more often...this maybe your solution. The extra bye would be helpful too. Automatic Bye after the international game...then one more is 18 weeks, but 17 games.

Not a bad compromise.
 

iueyedoc

Variant Also Negotiates
Donator
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
20,763
Liked Posts:
29,474
Location:
Mountains to Sea
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Chicago Blackhawks
  1. Indiana Hoosiers
What about having an international Sunday midseason, 16 games around the globe, followed by a league wide bye week, sort of a celebration of the league and eliminate the monstrosity that is the Probowl. That would eliminate any complaints from teams having to face an unequal number of teams with bye week advantages that would come up with spread out additional bye weeks.
 

Penny Traitor

バカでも才能は一つ
Staff member
Donator
Joined:
Aug 21, 2012
Posts:
11,189
Liked Posts:
17,019
Location:
Chicago
What about having an international Sunday midseason, 16 games around the globe, followed by a league wide bye week, sort of a celebration of the league and eliminate the monstrosity that is the Probowl. That would eliminate any complaints from teams having to face an unequal number of teams with bye week advantages that would come up with spread out additional bye weeks.

I think CCS just solved this issue in under 90 minutes, but I am sure the NFL will drag it out for close to two years.
 

nvanprooyen

Moderator
Staff member
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '19
Joined:
Apr 4, 2011
Posts:
18,470
Liked Posts:
29,198
Location:
Volusia County, FL
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Bears
What about having an international Sunday midseason, 16 games around the globe, followed by a league wide bye week, sort of a celebration of the league and eliminate the monstrosity that is the Probowl. That would eliminate any complaints from teams having to face an unequal number of teams with bye week advantages that would come up with spread out additional bye weeks.
I like this idea.
 

bearmick

Captain Objectivity
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '19
Joined:
Aug 20, 2012
Posts:
37,895
Liked Posts:
43,086
Short on money, are they?
 

botfly10

CCS Donator
Donator
Joined:
Jun 19, 2011
Posts:
32,868
Liked Posts:
26,844
I like the idea of a 17 game season. That extra game at a neutral site so no one loses a home game.

Owners want more games to recoup lost revenue from losing preseason games. Not sure splitting revenue from a single game at a neutral site would cut it.

Owners have been talking about an 18 game season for so long, I kinda think that is going to be the main push.
 

fenderpfunk

Well-known member
Joined:
Nov 5, 2012
Posts:
3,462
Liked Posts:
3,063
Might as well turn that 99% CTE rate of donated player brains into 100 baby. #MOREFOOTBAW
 

Top