Source: Under no circumstance 18 gm schedule

[FirstTimer]

Sounds both good and familiar. I'll take it.

As long as they keep the athleticism.

I'm that into black chicks.

 

[KINGOFOOTBALL]

I wouldnt have minded 18 games, because I have no problem with adding two more Sundays of sitting on my couch for 9 hours watching Sunday Ticket to my slate. As a fan, i'm all for it.

As for player safety, boo hoo. 14 games, 16 games, 18 games, doesnt matter, guys are going to get hurt, and these men know that they are likely shortening their lives by CHOOSING this profession. CHOOSING. As a fan, safety is not my problem. I would consume two more games, lose two more weeks of fantasy football, and not think twice about player safety. And guess what? So would you.

16 is fine, but 18 would not have made the sky fall like people seem to think.

As for this dispute overall, I think it's criminal that the players are making $.60 out of every $1. Show me a business where the owners make less than half the money. Would you stand for that as an owner of a business? I know I wouldnt. No wonder they want two more games.

Lets not lose sight that players are employees. There arent many businesses that are willing to run a labor percentage of 60 FUCKING PERCENT. I understand it's apples/oranges, but really it isnt when you think about it, but most businesses try to run lower than 30%. And these owners are just looking for something closer to 50/50.

I dont think the owners are trying to be unfair. I agree with them on the rookie wage scale (which will only benefit veterans anyway), I agree with them on the 18 games (which will create addditional game checks and additional jobs through more roster spots). These men arent billionaires by accident, everything they want will make everyone more money.

Its 59% after a 1 billion dollar credit. Players offered 50% owners refused.

Running a widget ship isnt the same as show business. Your profit margins and cost for talent are NOWHERE near what they are for regular business. You are talking elite level talents which require a far greater share of investment even if it means coming up red once in awhile.



Rookie salary cap should be a no brainer. NFLPA being against it is a bit crazy considering how much it would benefit veterans and likely extend careers.

18 game season also means alot of guys wont play long enough to see the full long term benefits of being an NFL player. It essentially adds another 3/4 of a season of play before they reach the benefits. For a huge chunk of NFL rosters thats a big deal as many are just journeyman and fringe players.

If you take away the facemasks, players won't be launching themselves like rockets with their faces out in the open.

Youd be looking at alot of toothless broken faced players.

 

[ralaw]

Hines Ward OK with 18-game season if owners improve health care

Although the majority of NFL players (not to mention the majority of PFT Planet) oppose an 18-game season, one prominent NFL player says he could live with playing two more games — as long as the owners are willing to do their part.

Steelers receiver Hines Ward says that the key to his support of an 18-game season would be the owners improving health care for retired players. Ward’s position is reasonable: More games means more opportunities for injuries, and so the owners should be willing to give the players better health coverage in retirement.

“If they do, we still have to go out there and play it,” Ward told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It depends on how they do retirement plans. If you add two more games and talk about safety, you have to do something on the back end.”

NFL Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith has been adamant that the players oppose adding games to the regular season, but Ward thinks his fellow players will agree to lengthening the season if the owners agree to take care of their health insurance in retirement.

“We’d jeopardize our bodies for two more regular-season games so if they can do something special with health insurance I think the players will go for it,” Ward said. “If we have to play 18 games, along with that you have to take care of us on the back end, it’ll be all right.”

Ward was just speaking for himself, not on behalf of the union. But his feeling is likely shared by a lot of his fellow players: The door isn’t completely closed on lengthening the regular season, but if the players are going to make that sacrifice, the owners had better be willing to do their share.

Hines Ward OK with 18-game season if owners improve health care | ProFootballTalk

This is how I feel about it. As W2B said, I really don't care if they add more games, because that only adds 2 more weekends of football for me. However, I agree with Ward in that saying the PA won't discuss it is a bit much, because anything can be bargained so that the players can get something in return and I'm sure D' Smith knows that, which is why he said what he said. The 18 game schedule is going to be the big issue in all of this, because it is much bigger than just 2 games, but involves providing more money for the owners and health benefits for players, which are the 2 major issues for both sides.

 

[bucky]

This is how I feel about it. As W2B said, I really don't care if they add more games, because that only adds 2 more weekends of football for me.

I am SO against this 18 game schedule. GB barely made it out alive in a 16 game schedule. That's two more games of possible season ending injuries. The game will be even more based off of injury luck than it is now. How GB beat the odds this past year still amazes me.

So my slogan for an 18 game schedule is:
JUST SAY NO.

Add an extra bye week before lengthening the number of regular season games.

And don't say it's two less preseason games, cause your starters don't play nearly as much in preseason, so the likely-hood of a preseason game injury for any single starter is much less than in a regular season game.

 

[ralaw]

I am SO against this 18 game schedule. GB barely made it out alive in a 16 game schedule. That's two more games of possible season ending injuries. The game will be even more based off of injury luck than it is now. How GB beat the odds this past year still amazes me.

So my slogan for an 18 game schedule is:
JUST SAY NO.

Add an extra bye week before lengthening the number of regular season games.

And don't say it's two less preseason games, cause your starters don't play nearly as much in preseason, so the likely-hood of a preseason game injury for any single starter is much less than in a regular season game.

I can understand your point, but if an 18 game schedule was instituted at week 17 you wouldn't be saying, "Man. if we only had 16 games, we'd be a much healthier and better team." Fans would just adjust and enjoy it the same as a 16 game schedule. Besides, most of GB's major injuries happened early in the season.

 

[bucky]

I can understand your point, but if an 18 game schedule was instituted at week 17 you wouldn't be saying, "Man. if we only had 16 games, we'd be a much healthier and better team." Fans would just adjust and enjoy it the same as a 16 game schedule. Besides, most of GB's major injuries happened early in the season.

We're definitely pushing our luck extending regular season games. I am def against it.

But I would adjust. I mean really, I'm not out on the field risking injury. I just think there are other ways to extend revenue and the regular season w/o adding games.

 

[NAHSTE]

I agree with this.

The headhunting rules and the helmet to helmet rules that everyoine bitches about will cut down the concussions dramatically. Dirty players or retards who cant grasp the new rules will eventually learn how to hit to avoid the fines/suspensions.

Nobody like it, but it's something the league needs and we just need to learn to live with it. Only a small percentage of mouth breathing hillbillies watch football to see guys hit dirty and get hurt.

No it won't. Repetitive low impact hits - for instance, what goes on at the LOS on every fucking snap - are just as damaging.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

No it won't. Repetitive low impact hits - for instance, what goes on at the LOS on every fucking snap - are just as damaging.

Not just as damaging.

If that was the case, we'd see guys knocked out cold routinely on the line of scrimmage. That doesnt happen.

In fact, the only time you see guys knocked cold are when you have two players flying towards the ball at full speed, and its usually the defensless player getting KTFO. The league has put rules into place to curtail this.

The other instance is QB's. But the league has also cut down on this with the no contact to the helmet rule that pisses everyone off (but is a needed evil).

How often do RB's get knocked out? Lineman? Extremely rare. These players are ready for contact.

The rules are in place to cut down on these head injuries. You cant eliminate them all. If everyone is so concerned with player safety, where is the outcry for less games?

As a fan, my concerns for more entertainment outweigh my concern for injuries within the rules of the game that can never be eliminated anyway. After a few years, nobody would think twice about 18 games versus 16, just like nobody harkens back to the good 'ol days of 14 games or 12 games.

 

[bucky]

Not just as damaging.

If that was the case, we'd see guys knocked out cold routinely on the line of scrimmage. That doesnt happen.

How often do RB's get knocked out? Lineman? Extremely rare. These players are ready for contact.

The rules are in place to cut down on these head injuries.

You conveniently ignore the repeated blows to the head and how much long term damage it can cause and the legitimacy of those repeated hits. Drs. are still studying this. You're only giving consideration to the sexy far less frequent big hits.

 

[BrntO4Life]

Not just as damaging.

If that was the case, we'd see guys knocked out cold routinely on the line of scrimmage. That doesnt happen.

In fact, the only time you see guys knocked cold are when you have two players flying towards the ball at full speed, and its usually the defensless player getting KTFO. The league has put rules into place to curtail this.

The other instance is QB's. But the league has also cut down on this with the no contact to the helmet rule that pisses everyone off (but is a needed evil).

How often do RB's get knocked out? Lineman? Extremely rare. These players are ready for contact.

The rules are in place to cut down on these head injuries. You cant eliminate them all. If everyone is so concerned with player safety, where is the outcry for less games?

As a fan, my concerns for more entertainment outweigh my concern for injuries within the rules of the game that can never be eliminated anyway. After a few years, nobody would think twice about 18 games versus 16, just like nobody harkens back to the good 'ol days of 14 games or 12 games.

When you have the time, I'd suggest reading this:
Football, dogfighting, and brain damage : The New Yorker

And I know you'll have the time. There's nothing to do in Bryan-College Station.

 

[bucky]

When you have the time, I'd suggest reading this:
Football, dogfighting, and brain damage : The New Yorker

And I know you'll have the time. There's nothing to do in Bryan-College Station.

Written by Ron Mexico.

 

[BrntO4Life]

Written by Ron Mexico.

If only. Malcolm Gladwell is a pretty good second option, though.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

You conveniently ignore the repeated blows to the head and how much long term damage it can cause and the legitimacy of those repeated hits. Drs. are still studying this. You're only giving consideration to the sexy far less frequent big hits.

When you have the time, I'd suggest reading this:
Football, dogfighting, and brain damage : The New Yorker

And I know you'll have the time. There's nothing to do in Bryan-College Station.

If you guys care so much about this, then again, where is the outcry for less games?

Anyone who is genuinely concerned about the violent nature of the game and the long term effects of the repeated hits, yet still supports the league every week, is being hypocritical. Because you will never eliminate all of the physicality from the game.

I don't buy that people really care. They just want to watch football. And they would watch 18 games.

 

[BrntO4Life]

I don't buy that people really care. They just want to watch football. And they would watch 18 games.

I don't give a shit how many games there are in the season. I don't watch the NFL outside of the playoffs anyways.

I just think there's some serious shit going on with the game that needs to be resolved somehow. Whether that's through player safety or equipment changes, I don't know.

 

[ram29jackson]

take away 2 pre season games and add 2 regular season games. What is so hard about that ?

since the beginning, the average football career is 4 years so I doubt the sport is worse than its ever been physically....?

 

[NAHSTE]

If you guys care so much about this, then again, where is the outcry for less games?

Anyone who is genuinely concerned about the violent nature of the game and the long term effects of the repeated hits, yet still supports the league every week, is being hypocritical. Because you will never eliminate all of the physicality from the game.

I don't buy that people really care. They just want to watch football. And they would watch 18 games.

I want them to go back to 14, but I also want fewer games in the other sports too.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I want them to go back to 14, but I also want fewer games in the other sports too.

Well then that's fair.

 

[bucky]

If you guys care so much about this, then again, where is the outcry for less games?

I definitely don't want more games so there is more opportunity for long term mental health issues.

Anyone who is genuinely concerned about the violent nature of the game and the long term effects of the repeated hits, yet still supports the league every week, is being hypocritical. Because you will never eliminate all of the physicality from the game.

It's not hypocritical. I'd like to see NFL/NFLPA research and find better equipment to reduce and hopefully greatly reduce the effects. Nothing hypocritical about it. Again, you seem to use some convenient and narrow minded arguments.

I don't buy that people really care. They just want to watch football. And they would watch 18 games.

I would watch 18 games. But I sure as hell would love them to invent better/safer equipment for the players to wear. Until then, I don't want them increasing their chances for long term health problems by increasing the number of games. I really don't give a rats ass whether you buy that I really care or not about the players. I know I do.

 

[bucky]

I want them to go back to 14, but I also want fewer games in the other sports too.

Baseball and Basketball seasons ARE too long. Football is really pushing it.

 

[SuperKevin]

Baseball and Basketball seasons ARE too long. Football is really pushing it.

You shut your mouth. If anything we need more baseball.