NFL needs to do a better job of adding more games and making sure that its best teams are playing on Thanksgiving. They should find a better balance between tradition and scheduling the most talented teams. This isn’t to say that a more tradition-based game isn't great for Lions and Cowboys fans but lets think about the rest of the country for a minute. If the Cowboys haven't had so much success over the years the game would have been taken away from both teams. I think the Cowboys and Ford sponsorship saved the TG game for the Lions.
Post by Blaming Brad on Mar 28, 2019 7:17:08 GMT -6
Personally I would love it if they took away the Lions Thanksgiving game. It gets to be a PITA scheduling everything around the game. Ideal would be if it was at night every year.
NFL needs to do a better job of adding more games and making sure that its best teams are playing on Thanksgiving. They should find a better balance between tradition and scheduling the most talented teams. This isn’t to say that a more tradition-based game isn't great for Lions and Cowboys fans but lets think about the rest of the country for a minute. If the Cowboys haven't had so much success over the years the game would have been taken away from both teams. I think the Cowboys and Ford sponsorship saved the TG game for the Lions.
Personally, I think it'd be weird not to have the Cowboys and Lions on Thanksgiving. I'm okay with sticking with those two ... and keeping the third game/teams random from year to year. Seems like a fair compromise.
How long have the Lions and Cowboys been playing on Thanksgiving anyway?
NFL needs to do a better job of adding more games and making sure that its best teams are playing on Thanksgiving. They should find a better balance between tradition and scheduling the most talented teams. This isn’t to say that a more tradition-based game isn't great for Lions and Cowboys fans but lets think about the rest of the country for a minute. If the Cowboys haven't had so much success over the years the game would have been taken away from both teams. I think the Cowboys and Ford sponsorship saved the TG game for the Lions.
They already have 3 games. Adding more would mean regional coverage, and I have no interest in watching the Cardinals (aka: Lions West) on Thanksgiving. As for the rest of the country, fuck them. Also, while we're at it, fuck Thursday night football. The only Thursday acceptable for football is Thanksgiving. Thursday games screw up fantasy, and is not fair to players recovering from prior games on Sunday. Get rid of the local broadcast rule and show 4 games on Sunday!
Post by goldenlions on Mar 29, 2019 0:00:14 GMT -6
The easiest solution since the NFL is hellbent on Thursday night football is to make the season 18 weeks long with 2 bye weeks for each team. The teams who play the Thursday night game, the prior Sunday is a bye. So essentially they have 10 days on either side of the Thursday night game.
But that would mean the Lions always having a bye week before T-day.
Last Edit: Mar 29, 2019 0:01:11 GMT -6 by goldenlions
Post by bigdogchris on Mar 29, 2019 9:46:45 GMT -6
I'd like the Eagles, that won last years Super Bowl, to explain to the Lions, that has never even been to one, how we have an advantage. I'd really, really like to hear that.
Last Edit: Mar 29, 2019 9:48:06 GMT -6 by bigdogchris
The easiest solution since the NFL is hellbent on Thursday night football is to make the season 18 weeks long with 2 bye weeks for each team. The teams who play the Thursday night game, the prior Sunday is a bye. So essentially they have 10 days on either side of the Thursday night game.
But that would mean the Lions always having a bye week before T-day.
I like the suggestion.
Unfortunately, this probably won't happen because the networks with the Sunday Afternoon packages won't have enough games that are appealing ( from their perspectives ) in most weeks.
The NFL went with an 18 week regular season schedule at least once in the late 1980's or early 1990's. But complaints from a couple of networks led to the 17 week regular season schedule.
IMHO, there's a couple of solutions to the Eagles concern:
1. The Lions and Cowboys also play road games on a Thursday earlier in a season.
2. Every other season the Lions and Cowboys play on the road on Thursday the week before Thanksgiving Day. Against opponents that would play on the road on Thanksgiving Day the following week.
IMHO, there's a couple of solutions to the Eagles concern:
1. The Lions and Cowboys also play road games on a Thursday earlier in a season.
2. Every other season the Lions and Cowboys play on the road on Thursday the week before Thanksgiving Day. Against opponents that would play on the road on Thanksgiving Day the following week.
Neither the Lions or Cowboys will give up their home game, so you can just forget #2. And I am not sure the NFL will force them to give it up considering "America's team" is one of them. Despite what you may think the Lions brass does have pull in the league.
I don't really understand what #1 has to do with what the Eagles want.
The NFL went with an 18 week regular season schedule at least once in the late 1980's or early 1990's. But complaints from a couple of networks led to the 17 week regular season schedule.
When did this happen? I don't ever remember an 18 week schedule. There were never bye weeks until 1990.
IMHO, there's a couple of solutions to the Eagles concern:
1. The Lions and Cowboys also play road games on a Thursday earlier in a season.
2. Every other season the Lions and Cowboys play on the road on Thursday the week before Thanksgiving Day. Against opponents that would play on the road on Thanksgiving Day the following week.
Neither the Lions or Cowboys will give up their home game, so you can just forget #2. And I am not sure the NFL will force them to give it up considering "America's team" is one of them. Despite what you may think the Lions brass does have pull in the league.
I don't really understand what #1 has to do with what the Eagles want.
A purpose of # 2 is for the Lions and Cowboys not to have to give up the annual home Thanksgiving Day Game. The week before every other season, the Lions and Cowboys wouldn't have an advantage of being the home team on a short week because they would play on the road the previous Thursday. The team that hosted Dallas the week before would be in Detroit for Thanksgiving Day. And vice versa.
If the Lions and Cowboys play on the road on a Thursday earlier in the season, being home on Thanksgiving Day would cancel the so called advantage out. The Eagles issue is both teams having an advantage of being home for a Thursday game each year, without have a so called disadvantage.
The NFL went with an 18 week regular season schedule at least once in the late 1980's or early 1990's. But complaints from a couple of networks led to the 17 week regular season schedule.
When did this happen? I don't ever remember an 18 week schedule. There were never bye weeks until 1990.
Although I will contend that the league is much different than 25 years ago, for one they didn't have Thursday games every week and NFL was not one of the highest rated programs on TV back then, except for maybe Monday Night. I think having 2 bye weeks a season would be great and I would like to see the season not overlap with the college bowl games either, so having that extra week would be good for that. The games that only really need to be manageable for the network is the nationally televised game of the week. I think they could figure something out worth scheduling to appease the networks.
Although I will contend that the league is much different than 25 years ago, for one they didn't have Thursday games every week and NFL was not one of the highest rated programs on TV back then, except for maybe Monday Night. I think having 2 bye weeks a season would be great and I would like to see the season not overlap with the college bowl games either, so having that extra week would be good for that. The games that only really need to be manageable for the network is the nationally televised game of the week. I think they could figure something out worth scheduling to appease the networks.
Thanks.
There are two ways of looking at this that have validity, including what you expressed. One major obstacle though could turn out to be the weekly Thursday night games taking away games from Sunday Afternoons.
It's possible that the 4 additional NFL teams compared to 1993, as part of a larger NFL game pool, could be enough to convince the networks to try an 18 week schedule again. I would be in favor of it. But I think the chances of it happening in the next CBA are no more than 40 %.