NFL Owners Meeting in ATL: Playoff expansion to be discussed...***Vote Postponed***

[Cowboy Brian]

here's how I see this affecting the cowboys...

1) Jones pushes and pushes to get that extra team in there (and the league adds it)
2) Dallas has a great season, gets the #2 seed
3) The #7 seed is a 7-9 team
4) Dallas loses to them in round 1
5) Jones goes back to the owners meetings to remove the extra team each year

It's destined

 

[DandyDon1722]

Not really. I read the same thing each time the playoffs got extended throughout history. It's only this or it's only that. Yeah for this time but what about next time? Or the time after that? Or the time after that? Next thing you know there are 12 teams in the playoffs. Next time 14 teams. Next time 16 teams then 18 teams. At some point you have to say enough is enough and we are at that point. Take a historical view of the situation and you will see it's not any kind of overreaction at all.

Not necessarily. The NFL has actually lagged far behind the other American sports leagues in playoff expansion rate but I agree in that the playoffs shouldn't dilute the season.

 

[TrailBlazer]

Apparently we were 8th in 2008 but were 10th the other years so no. And getting in is getting in. 'Earn' speaks of worth and cost which is completely arbitrary.

That format would allow mediocre teams in the playoffs. Therefore, simply making the playoffs at 8-8 as the final wildcard and being one and done should not be seen as a success; generally speaking, unless you have low expectations.

 

[Rogah]

It's no big surprise the owners favor the expension of playoff teams -- that was to be expected from those focused on profits far more than player safety or even paying heed to what the fans prefer. Far too many league decisions are getting away from fan preferences only to serve the almighty dollar. I'm hoping that eventually good reason prevails and the players and fans will merit more and better consideration in the future rather than lining the owners' pocketbooks. The future of the game is at stake. Many of those in positions of power seem to be turning their backs to that fact, IMHO. It certainly wouldn't be in their best interest to kill the goose that laid the golden egg; that's a given. The league and the owners had best take a deep breath and stifle the greed before it's too late. They've already succeeded in excessively watering down team rosters with their expansionism and lust for the greenbacks. Enough, already, before it's too late. Just my two cents on that . . .

People have been saying they should stifle their greed before it's too late for about 25 years now - and yet the league continues to see record popularity, record ratings, record news media attention, etc. Football is far and away the most popular sport in the country and that is in no danger of changing anytime soon.

The only thing that will stop these sorts of initiatives are people tuning out but the league knows full well that the people complaining the loudest about such things are the people who will all be tuning in to the very things they complain about.

 

[Rogah]

So we're punishing the 2nd-best teams in each conference (since they won't get a bye anymore) and rewarding the 7th-best teams in each conference. AWFUL.

Ah, but herein lies the rub. Fans see it as "punishing" the #2 seed but I assure you the owners do not. On the contrary, this new format will be seen as rewarding the #2 seed.

And how, you may wonder, does the new format reward the #2 seed? Because under the new format, the #2 seed will be guaranteed 2 home playoff games (assuming, of course, they win their first round game). And from ownership's perspective, that's pretty significant and one of the main reason this whole thing is being pushed forward. An extra home playoff game is worth millions of dollars.

Also it is inevitable that, under the new format, eventually some team will have something never seen before: 3 home playoff games.