NFL CBA UPDATE: NFLPA Says No to 18-Game Schedule

by Dave Cariello on Mar 9, 2011 8:14 PM CST

Jim Trotter, who has been closely covering the NFL collective bargaining negotiations, just released some interesting news on Sports Illustrated's website regarding the labor talks. In particular, the possibility of an extended season.

Once thought a strong possibility, it's looking like an 18-game season is totally off the table. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said this:

"First of all, the league has never presented a formal proposal for 18 games," he told SI.com. "But more importantly, it's something that our players don't want. Eighteen games is not in the best interest of our players' safety, so we're not doing it."

This should come as good news to those fans who staunchly opposed a longer season and considered it the ruining of the National Football League.

Earlier today, the two sides agreed on a rookie wage scale.

Two days remaining until the deadline...

Poll

Are you happy the players have said no to an 18-game season?

Yes

170 votes

No

51 votes

221 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 18 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

And for the first time...

it feels like one side more represents my opinion.

Offseason Motto: Burn the damn black pants.
Canal Street Chronicles-you know you want to

by Jon Banks on Mar 9, 2011 8:17 PM CST reply actions

Am I happy? Hell yes!

It means I get to continue watching NFL football…if and when it ever comes back.

It was worth the wait.

by MtnExile on Mar 9, 2011 8:25 PM CST reply actions

Great news

I love the exhibition season for what it is. The chance to evaluate players I may never get to see in full contact game conditions otherwise.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Mar 9, 2011 11:53 PM CST reply actions

Agreed Dat

When I say WHO DAT U say TWO DAT!!!

by cajuncommando58 on Mar 10, 2011 2:18 AM CST up reply actions

Agreed

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Mar 10, 2011 11:24 AM CST up reply actions

Pre-season helps the coaches prepare for the real games.

I like it the way it is

You think you know, and you don't know, and you never, ever will.-Jim Mora Sr.
Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica-Jim Halpert
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Creed :It's pronounced "Colonel", the highest rank in the military. Andy: No, it's pronounced "Cornell" the highest rank in the Ivy League.

by metryman on Mar 10, 2011 5:31 PM CST up reply actions

But...didn't Commissioner Goodell say...

…that the extended season was what the FANS wanted?

He wouldn’t LIE would he? Really???

Oh, wait, I understand now…he didn’t say WHICH fans. The owners are fans too. Fans of making more cash, which is all the extended season is about. So it’s true, the 18 game seaons is what “the fans” want. Just got to ask the correct question afterward: “WHICH FANS?”, because none of the FOOTBALL FANS I know are in favor of the 18 game season. Not one.

The players should make firing Goodell a part of the negotiations….for the good of the game.

Who Dat? TWO DAT! Do dat AGAIN!!!

by GSO Saints Fan on Mar 10, 2011 11:32 AM CST reply actions 1 recs

^ This

It was worth the wait.

by MtnExile on Mar 10, 2011 12:10 PM CST up reply actions

Didn’t Commissioner Goodell say that the extended season was what the FANS wanted?

He wouldn’t LIE would he?

I’m sure there are things that both sides are lying about, but that’s not one of them.

Fans want more, meaningful football games… not every single fan wants that, but a majority do.

They want the games at the end of the season to be more meaningful… so, the league schedules potential playoff impacting games in those last two weeks. (And, that has worked a little.)

Some fans would love it if the scores were lower and teams ran the ball 60+% of the time… we have one in our midst. most fans want more excitement than that, so the rules regarding pass defense have been altered to allow for more passing and scoring.

Just because you and I know about a vocal minority, doesn’t mean that most of the other 100,000,000+ NFL fans feel the same way. A huge percentage of those fans (the ones that buy tickets and jerseys and such, just like we do) don’t follow their team as closely as we do. They don’t think about things like player safety and IR lists and rosters sizes and active rosters, etc etc. They just want to watch football.

To them (the 98,999,990+) 18 games mean more, meaning football games to watch. And, to them, that’s a good thing.

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Mar 10, 2011 3:45 PM CST up reply actions

Just because you and I know about a vocal minority, doesn’t mean that most of the other 100,000,000+ NFL fans feel the same way.

It’s so cute when the delusional minority sees itself as the silent majority.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Mar 11, 2011 7:16 AM CST up reply actions

lol

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Mar 11, 2011 9:53 AM CST up reply actions

Wow this vote surprised me. Why would any fan not want a longer season? We all know after the second preseason game it just gets old. I thought all fans were for a 18 game season.

by Realsaint on Mar 10, 2011 1:22 PM CST reply actions

You forgot the sarcasm font

Here is an explanation, in case you really didn’t know.

It was worth the wait.

by MtnExile on Mar 10, 2011 1:29 PM CST up reply actions

please tell me you’re joking…i think i vomited a little on my keyboard.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Mar 10, 2011 2:22 PM CST up reply actions

The only thing I would like to see changed is the face value of individual pre-season games. I realize that as a season ticket holder, that wouldn’t affect me either way. They’d just jack up the eight regular season tickets to compensate and make it seem like you’re getting break. I’m not naive to how the business world operates. Still, whenever the Saints reach their next rebuilding phase and aren’t selling out every game in the Dome regardless, it would be nice to have a couple of games per season where I could afford to snap up maybe a half dozen extra seats around me and treat family members to a fun night out, without paying what would otherwise amount to another season ticket.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Mar 10, 2011 2:40 PM CST up reply actions

Ticket prices aren’t regulated by the league though, so that truly has nothing to do with the CBA meetings.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Mar 10, 2011 2:43 PM CST up reply actions

Guess not...

Repeat? Under construction...

by FrenchFreak on Mar 10, 2011 10:02 PM CST up reply actions

If exhibition games were 75% off and regular season games 18.75% higher, that would be pretty close to ideal, imo. So, a $48 terrace seat would run you $12 each for 2 games and $57 each for the other 8. That way, just about anyone could afford one preseason game per year with their whole family. They’d still make their money on season tickets and would dramatically increase their profits on concessions and parking those two weeks, as a lot of season ticket holders seem to skip those games, regardless.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Mar 10, 2011 2:57 PM CST reply actions