The Red Zone Report

About two months ago, Commissioner Roger Goodell proposed an expansion of the NFL’s regular season from 16 games to 17 or 18, eliminating two preseason games in the process.

“There’s a very strongly held view, internally and I believe with our fans, that they don’t believe the pre-season games are up to our standards,” he told reporters in March.

“By modifying the 20-game structure and swapping pre-season games for regular-season games, that’s a very positive change for our fans and improves the quality of what we’re doing.”

The goal was to have this ready by the 2011 season, but that might be on hold for now. The Sports Business Journal is reporting that item is not featured on the agenda for the NFL owner’s meeting which starts this Monday, May 18.

For the sake of discussion, let’s say this gets done, and the NFL season is expanded. What are the pros and cons?

Pros:

• Shorter preseason- Ugh! If you enjoy preseason games in the NFL, just grab a bucket of paint, splatter some of it against the wall, and watch it. It’s just as thrilling, and it’s a cheaper form of entertainment. Yes, these games are cheaper than regular season games, but the product is not even close. Don’t get me wrong, the preseason is important. Teams need to develop chemistry and decide which “scrapheap wonder” will make the roster. However, it’s original purpose was to make sure the players were in-shape and ready to play. Now players are coming into OTA and training camps in top shape. Preseason games are still needed to create on-field chemistry, but that only takes a game or two at the most.

• Good business move- There is no doubt that this would boost revenue for the NFL. The league hasn’t been immune to the current economy, cutting nearly 170 staff members. Not to mention, Goodell himself took a significant pay cut, which might seem insignificant to the fans but give the guy some credit. Expanding the regular season schedule not only means more money through ticket sales, but it could also mean bigger contracts from television stations who carry these games.

• More! More! More!- Hey, the NFL is America’s most popular professional sport. As a fan, don’t you want more games to keep the season going? Besides, these new games would replace preseason games, so it’s not like we’re prolonging the season even more into February right? What’s that? Oh, Goodell wants the Super Bowl on President’s Day weekend. That’s a subject for another blog.

• Parity- The league’s ultimate goal: make sure every team is as close to 8-8 as they can be. Having a longer schedule, even if it’s just one or two more games, can help create parity. Who is to say the Patriots would have gone undefeated in 2007 or the Eagles made it as a wild card last season if the schedule were expanded. Sure, it’s a stretch to think that way, but just look at last year. Nine teams depended on the last game of the season to clinch a spot in the post season. Surely, a 17 or 18-game schedule could make the last week of the season even more dramatic.

Cons:

• Injury and fatigue- When whispers came out last September about this proposal, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King was the first person to comment on it. King is not a fan because he believes more injuries will come about, knocking out starts in the last few games. No matter what you think about him, King brings up a valid point. Sure, injuries can happen anytime throughout the season. However, if players are forced to play all-out for 17 or 18 games, coupled with two vigorous run-throughs staged as preseason games, that could take a toll on players’ bodies. Even if they don’t get seriously injured, games could get easily sloppier because of simple fatigue. 6-3 scrums aren’t as captivating as 27-24 battles.

• Global expansion- You might like having a game or two in London, but I don’t! In fact, an ESPN Sports Nation poll  from last year showed that a plurality of NFL fans (37.5%) agree with me that it’s ridiculous to outsource an American-inspired sport to people that just aren’t captivated by its appeal. Goodell said that expanding the regular season could “broaden the appeal of the game on a global basis which the players will benefit from.” Sorry Roger. Don’t try spreading the sport in soccer countries. Hey, at least David Beckham knows when to quit his quest. Keep games here and let the fans cheer their home team at their home field.

• Mo’ money, mo’ problems- When the 2010 season ends, start the uncapped negotiations. Ah yes! More big contracts and more useless players for the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. In all seriousness, a proposal to expand the regular season could create complications in reworking the collective bargaining agreement between the owners and the players’ union. Owners opted out of their agreement with the union because nearly 60 percent of the league’s revenues are guaranteed to players. It’s very likely players are going to demand more money. With a 17 or 18-game schedule players are probably going to argue that they are at more risk for injury, which is usually the driving point in earning guaranteed money.

My Decision: I’m in favor of expansion for this simple reason: bang for your buck. Sure, it’s cheaper to pay for preseason games but not by much. Either way, you’re going to pay too much to watch a football game. So, why not make it a regular season game? At least you get to watch meaningful football where the players are trying to compete at a high level. In the preseason, you’re subject to watching an extension of training camp, except, unlike training camp, it’s not for free.