Please, Please, Please, cut preseason in half

[Fear The Spear]

We do not need 4 games to accomplish the "preseason purpose".
Preseason comes down to evaluating how your new players perform, and sharpening the rust off the current/veteran players.
How much time in preseason is spent on the latter ? A fraction !
How much meaningful time is spent on the former ? A fraction, because most of the newer players go up against 2nd or 3rd string players on the opposing team, a majority of the time.
That leaves a huge, huge chunk of preseason which accomplished only one thing : unnnessary injuries.
Please stop the madness of the 4 game preseason. We all know it's just another tool of the league for primarily generating revenue. Although, I myself would never spend money to see a preseason game.
Two games is plenty. The rest of the "legitimate preseason goals" can be accomplished in camp or practice.
More than 50% of preseason is useless. A 16+ regular season/post-season is long enough - we don't need anymore season-ending injuries in meaningless, useless preseason game scenarios.

 

[Lanky Livingston]

I think they could eliminate at least one preseason game, possibly two without major repercussions (outside of financial). Have the dress-rehearsal game, then give starters a week off and give the fringe players a game to prove themselves, then start the season.

Problem is, the owners will never surrender that revenue - so they'll want to increase the regular season to 18 games.

 

[Bulldog]

If the NFL had cut the preseason down to two games and started the regular season in August we would almost certainly be playing the Eagles without Griffin and Meriweather. You might not have Cofield, Wilson or Cousins either.

Nope, this year at least the Redskins need the four weeks to get injured players back.

 

[Fear The Spear]

Cutting to 2 Preseason games doesn't necessarily mean starting the season early in August.
Why not just start training camp later, and still start the season in September ?
Or even use the same start time for both TC and the season, but use the extra time, freed up from the 2 preseason games, for internal practice, drills, and controlled scrimmages.

 

[fansince62]

onboard the 2 game preseason bandwagon!

 

[Miles Monroe]

Cutting to 2 Preseason games doesn't necessarily mean starting the season early in August.
Why not just start training camp later, and still start the season in September ?
Or even use the same start time for both TC and the season, but use the extra time, freed up from the 2 preseason games, for internal practice, drills, and controlled scrimmages.

As far as I know, the schedule / calendar is set in stone in the CBA, so all that has to be renegotiated. As already stated, the revenue does come into play. You can't just add 2 games to the regular season because of player payroll. You can add them to the playoff's because if a team does advance to the playoff's, there's the stipulation for the players getting paid for the extra games. That changes the entire landscape of the playoffs some say, and others see it as a rockin wild card weekend.There was just an article on the subject I saw about a week ago. So much more involved then we realize in changing the preseason.

Thing is, is two weeks enough live action to evaluate rookies ? Look at our situation this season. It's likely Rambo is going to get a lot of playing time, if not the start as Brandon "not so" Meriweather is still a huge question mark. Are the games meaningless, or is having him on the field 4 games a benefit ? Eleven on eleven just isn't live game action, and in this day and age, rookies are counted on to contribute far more then decades gone by.

I'm for keeping 4 preseason games. It's football, and people get hurt. Every player in the league is one play away from retirement, and it can happen anytime. Good teams overcome, as we did last season.

 

[SC_RedskinsFan]

I think 3 preseason games would be perfect. As others have said the first two games to knock the rust off. The final game should be for all the back ups and players fighting for final roster spots.

 

[Elephant]

I gotta say I tire of hearing about pre-season being shortened because of the risk of injury in a "meaningless" game. Tell the 5-10 rookies who have a legitimate shot to make this team it is meaningless. A starter can go down in the very first game of the season, should we hold him out until more meaningful games in October start?


The NFL is not going to adjust because of the revenues. Just accept so we can please, please, please not beat this dead horse every pre-season?

 

[SC_RedskinsFan]

The NFL is not going to adjust because of the revenues. Just accept so we can please, please, please not beat this dead horse every pre-season?

Maybe some of us like the sound of a dead horse being beaten lol

 

[Lanky Livingston]

I gotta say I tire of hearing about pre-season being shortened because of the risk of injury in a "meaningless" game. Tell the 5-10 rookies who have a legitimate shot to make this team it is meaningless. A starter can go down in the very first game of the season, should we hold him out until more meaningful games in October start?


The NFL is not going to adjust because of the revenues. Just accept so we can please, please, please not beat this dead horse every pre-season?

I swear I remember reading that 99.9% of all roster decisions have been made watching the dress rehearsal game 3, and that game 4 is really just a chance for kids to showcase their talents to other teams, because most are not going to make the team. The ones that will make the team already won their spot in camp or in a previous game. I will try to dig up the quote, can't remember where I saw it.

 

[Fear The Spear]

I gotta say I tire of hearing about pre-season being shortened because of the risk of injury in a "meaningless" game. Tell the 5-10 rookies who have a legitimate shot to make this team it is meaningless.

It IS meaningless, because we don't need 4 games. I'm not advocating banishing the entire preseason. Tell those 5-10 rookies, that they shouldn't need 4 preseason games to prove themselves. Two or 3 games will accomplish the same purpose that you are pointing at

 

[Elephant]

...and that game 4 is really just a chance for kids to showcase their talents to other teams, because most are not going to make the team.

I am not sure this makes much sense to me unless a coach trying to stash a player on the practice squad just keeps said player off the field in the 4th game.

I agree that much of the decision process has been made, but I am not sure I am buying the showcase talents for other teams line. Teams place many of those players on the PS with the hopes of developing at least a couple. Not sure they'd be playing players in a game so another team can see if they want them...just doesn't sound logical.

 

[Elephant]

It IS meaningless, because we don't need 4 games. I'm not advocating banishing the entire preseason. Tell those 5-10 rookies, that they shouldn't need 4 preseason games to prove themselves. Two or 3 games will accomplish the same purpose that you are pointing at

That's your opinion and for the last several years since Portis dislocated his shoulder, this conversation keeps being brought up. Let me let you in on a little secret, the NFL is not going to eliminate a multi-million dollar revenue because a few players may get hurt. It ain't happening...

 

[Fear The Spear]

Let me let you in on a little secret, the NFL is not going to eliminate a multi-million dollar revenue because a few players may get hurt. It ain't happening...

That's no secret. I referred to that in my original post.

 

[Miles Monroe]

I gotta say I tire of hearing about pre-season being shortened because of the risk of injury in a "meaningless" game. Tell the 5-10 rookies who have a legitimate shot to make this team it is meaningless. A starter can go down in the very first game of the season, should we hold him out until more meaningful games in October start?


The NFL is not going to adjust because of the revenues. Just accept so we can please, please, please not beat this dead horse every pre-season?

The league is still not given up on the idea... trying to find a way to make all parties happy. There was a Skins player who's name I can't even remember. Playing on teams, the first kick off of the regular season, and he's running down field, and goes down untouched. Lost for the season. Thinking he was a back up wide out. **** happens...

 

[Fear The Spear]

And since a player can be lost for the season opening day, that justifies having 4 pre-season games ?
Then why not use that logic, to increase to 8 pre-season games, since players can be hurt anytime of year anyway ?
The point is to eliminate the unnecessary portion of preseason, NOT to try to reduce the risk of injury to Zero %
I never said that the entire preseason is meaningless and useless. I said the majority of it is.
So, let's cut the "fat" out of it, and make it LEAN

 

[Fear The Spear]

Yes, the owners and the league care a great deal about revenue, but having 4 preseason games can actually cut into revenue, because if you're losing star players in an inflated preseason, then it's going to cut into the revenue of the team and league.
Losing major players, and losing regular season games due to the loss of those players, is not good for revenue.

I'd like to think that there's enough owners that care enough about the health of their players, that they'd be willing to sacrifice some revenue from 1 or 2 preseason games, so that they have a more profitable product to offer during the regular season.

And by the way, it's not a dead horse, if the issue is yet un-resolved.

 

[SilentThreat]

I think they could eliminate at least one preseason game, possibly two without major repercussions (outside of financial). Have the dress-rehearsal game, then give starters a week off and give the fringe players a game to prove themselves, then start the season.

Problem is, the owners will never surrender that revenue - so they'll want to increase the regular season to 18 games.

yeah but if you eliminate 1 preseason game... that means 16 teams get 2 home preseason games while the other half only get 1....

It's difficult to go from 90 to 53 with only 2 or 3 games at "real" speed. While i'm cant stand this time of year where guys are at risk to get hurt, i can see the point... i wouldnt want my whole first team only getting a quarter together before they take the field when it matters.

 

[Miles Monroe]

And since a player can be lost for the season opening day, that justifies having 4 pre-season games ?
Then why not use that logic, to increase to 8 pre-season games, since players can be hurt anytime of year anyway ?
The point is to eliminate the unnecessary portion of preseason, NOT to try to reduce the risk of injury to Zero %
I never said that the entire preseason is meaningless and useless. I said the majority of it is.
So, let's cut the "fat" out of it, and make it LEAN

Come on Fear... I know you're smart enough to know I was giving an example of injuries happening at any time. There was no logic implied as to the number of preseason games played. Pure example, and nothing more. Some folks deem part of the preseason unnecessary, while others don't. Coaches, players, fans... there's a divide. No matter how it boils down, they will still play the same number of games combined, which seemed very clear from what I read coming out of the league office. Same number of games nets no reduction in the chances of being injured while on the field. Could actually raise the chances being the games count, and people play for keeps when their keepin score.

 

[Snydershrugged]

I would support the same duration of preseason but replace games with organized visiting team practices like some teams have been doing recently.