Stash
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I think it has to pass the 32 team reps first.
I got a distinctly different impression from what PFT has been saying. When the initial player rep group voted 7-6 against it (or whatever the number was), they mentioned that those votes ultimately didn't matter if the rank and file players decided to agree to it.
17 Games is just silly IMO. I don't think fans really want a 17th game. If your team is out of it you are ready for the season to be over. If your team is in it, you're ready for the playoffs. The fans don't want to pony up the extra cash for a 17th game either.
In terms of 'cash', aren't fans paying for that game as a preseason game anyway? Aren't season ticket holders forced to pay fornthise meaningless games too? At least now it means something.
My honest opinion is that they should have gone to 18 games with two bye weeks for each team. Take two of the meaningless preseason games away and replace them with games that count. That gives them 20 weeks for a regular season, essentially five months time. And then the playoffs and Super Bowl give them another month, so you have football for half the year.
But during those 18 games, players are required to be inactive for two of them, some time during the season. Either if injured, or if you've clinched, or if you're out of it, or if it's a weaker opponent. Team's choice. That preserves the current records for a 16-game season while giving the league the added games they want. And it also adds another element of strategy to the team's planning.