Should The NFL Make Modifications?

[PECKERWOOD]

So anyways. I was watching the Sabres game and Monday Night game at the same time. And its funny how slow the NFL is. Between, commercials, timeouts and different units getting onto the field, the Sabres game was almost over by halftime. It really ticked me off, thinking about it. Am I just crazy, or do you guys also think the NFL needs to speed the game up a bit?

[The_Philster]

Sabres game was almost over by halftimeSabres game started at 7...MNF started at 8:30

[kernowboy]

Hi there from a Limey

It does always strike me that apart from basketball and ice hockey, the NFL and Baseball are comparatively slow games and take an inordinate amount of time compared to how much game time there actually is.

I think that is almost certainly due to the commercial pressures of the game and the need for commercial advertising on TV, though of course this wouldn't be as noticeable if you are at the game. There isn't an inclination to speed the game up.

But if you wanted to do so ....

I believe you do have a certain amount of time given for each play and maybe this needs to be sped up. Changeover between offensive and defensive units could be sped up. Unfortunately the sanctions given are rather weak at the moment.

If for example, JP commits a penalty of delaying the snap he might face a 5yd penalty and replay down sanctions.

What about if this were to occur on 1st down, you scrap the distance penalty and say 'Delay of snap - automatic penalty - 3rd down'.

The loss of two downs threat would immediately avoid this penalty.

Likewise if units coming on are slow, make it a 20 yds penalty if its the defence or an automatic loss of down for the offence. That'll get them to move themselves.

The only way you get the game sped up is to adopt punative sanctions. Take cricket. The side in the field (pitching) should bowl 90 overs (90x 6 balls) in a day if its a test match. In the old days, failing to achieve this resulted in nothing worse than tutting. Now, the side can be fined 50% of their match fee. Rarely happens now. They do of course take into account the weather and whether a serious injury has occured but .........

[CuseJetsFan83]

eh, i was watching college football, which has implemented a rule where once the kick is made the clock starts.... you go out of bounds the clock starts on the snap... you stay in bounds the clock starts upon placing of the balll......... the only way to stop are penalty... incompletion.... out of bounds (under certain amount of time)

it really plays with momentum alot....

honestly i like the way the nfl is..... and some games fly by.... just depends on how good or bad at scoring both teams are..... how many penalties...etc.

[Meathead]

i would like to see the nfl reward teams for crappy offensive lines

[YardRat]

I'm fine with how the game is played from a time management standpoint. Now, if you want to talk rules changes...

[CuseJetsFan83]

I'm fine with how the game is played from a time management standpoint. Now, if you want to talk rules changes...

agreed............

rules changes are a complete different matter....

what are some of your favorites to be put under the microscope next year?

[don137]

Its called the almighty dollar. Yes, these games could end a lot sooner but the commercials helps pay for that lucrative TV contract.

[Gunzlingr]

They should get rid of tv timeouts. Pisses me off when I am at a game and they stop the game and the guys stand around so they can get a few extra commercials in.

[OpIv37]

They should get rid of tv timeouts. Pisses me off when I am at a game and they stop the game and the guys stand around so they can get a few extra commercials in.

I agree they should, but they won't. TV ad revenue is a HUGE source of money for the NFL. They're not going to give that up just for the fans who actually bother GOING to the games- why would they want to keep those people happy when there's money to be made?

[Mr. Cynical]

I agree they should, but they won't. TV ad revenue is a HUGE source of money for the NFL. They're not going to give that up just for the fans who actually bother GOING to the games- why would they want to keep those people happy when there's money to be made?

Bingo. :up:

Let's face it, football is the ultimate TV sport. I can't think of any other sport I'd rather watch at home - everything else is better live IMO. Football has 11 vs 11 and its hard to see all the things happening in real time without the aid of 100 cameras. It's the most complex sport out there and I think that plays into why it works well on TV. Also it is a full contact sport and with 275 lb dudes who run 4.x 40s and bench 500 lbs flying around smashing into one another I think they need the breaks. :;

[Turf]

They ruined the NFL the day they got away from the 30 sec play clock and went to the 45, then 40. They shortened the game too much for the sake of commercials. So what if the game went 3.5 hours, what the hell else is there to watch on a Sunday afternoon? Idiots. Same reason we lost the first Super Bowl. The whole concept that if a team can methodically run the ball the length of the field they can eat up 1/8 of the game is bull****.

[PECKERWOOD]

Sabres game started at 7...MNF started at 8:30
Yes, the Sabres game did start before the MNF game, but it is still apparent that the NHL games are moving at a much speedier pace than the NFL is. Maybe my tv is messed up, but the Sabres game didnt start on the versus network untill 7:30 for me.

[The_Philster]

Yes, the Sabres game did start before the MNF game, but it is still apparent that the NHL games are moving at a much speedier pace than the NFL is. Maybe my tv is messed up, but the Sabres game didnt start on the versus network untill 7:30 for me.
that's still an hour earlier...but yeah, NHL games are faster paced than the NFL....more commercials, for one thing...to pay for the huge TV contracts
I expect an NFL game to go 3- 3 1/4 hours
NHL 2 1/2

[Dozerdog]

You guys are way off base.

Longer games don't earn the NFL a single penny. They make their money on contracts.

Do the networks make more money if a game goes 3 and a half hours instead of 3? Nope.

If anything - it cuts into revenue. When a game runs long and affects 60 minutes or the Simpsons, it negatively impacts the ad revenue sold on those shows.

The model for selling advertising during games is a 3 hour or less contest. The commercial time is pretty much mapped out. NBC doesn't send Budweiser a bigger advertising bill because they managed to squeeze in 12 spots instead of the agreed upon 9 spots. If anyone is pushing for tighter games and rules to move games along- it's the Networks- not the NFL.

[PECKERWOOD]

You guys are way off base.

Longer games don't earn the NFL a single penny. They make their money on contracts.

Do the networks make more money if a game goes 3 and a half hours instead of 3? Nope.

If anything - it cuts into revenue. When a game runs long and affects 60 minutes or the Simpsons, it negatively impacts the ad revenue sold on those shows.

The model for selling advertising during games is a 3 hour or less contest. The commercial time is pretty much mapped out. NBC doesn't send Budweiser a bigger advertising bill because they managed to squeeze in 12 spots instead of the agreed upon 9 spots. If anyone is pushing for tighter games and rules to move games along- it's the Networks- not the NFL.
Good post, very well said.

[The_Philster]

That's not what I was implying, Dozer...but my point is that commercials do seem to be more prevalent in the NFL telecasts. Yeah, they'd be stupid to extend games to 3 1/2 hours to air some more commercials, no doubt about that. But the networks give the NFL a lot of money to air their games and commercials are the way they earn that back....sometimes not even breaking even from what I read somewhere a while back. They could probably cut down on commercials more and have most every game done in less than 2 1/2 hours...but then the networks wouldn't be able to afford it.

[Historian]

The worst is when you're at a game, and you're watching everybody just stand around.

The game has gotten very tedious for me.

Not only do I loathe the same stale beer commercials over and over, what I simply can't handle are the referees throwing a flag at least once on every series of downs.

It stops the clock, it draws out the game, and it's boring as hell. Especially the false start/twitching type penalties.

The best games were a few years back, when the NFL used replacement referees. They kept the hankees in their pockets, and the games were more interesting because of it.

Hockey tweeked their rules, and the game is much more fun to watch. The NFL needs to do the same.

[YardRat]

agreed............

rules changes are a complete different matter....

what are some of your favorites to be put under the microscope next year?

Pass interference for starters. Illegal shifts. The tuck rule. "Forced-out" receptions.

[Mr. Cynical]

That's not what I was implying, Dozer...but my point is that commercials do seem to be more prevalent in the NFL telecasts. Yeah, they'd be stupid to extend games to 3 1/2 hours to air some more commercials, no doubt about that. But the networks give the NFL a lot of money to air their games and commercials are the way they earn that back....sometimes not even breaking even from what I read somewhere a while back. They could probably cut down on commercials more and have most every game done in less than 2 1/2 hours...but then the networks wouldn't be able to afford it.

That's how I see it as well. The contracts are negotiated based on the expected length for a game - 3 hours. If the game was 2 hours, they would make less because they would show fewer commercials (granted, one could argue they could charge more per commercial in that case but anyway)

HOWEVER, this is not the same as saying they make more money IF a random game goes over. It's all pre-fixed. So the length of a game still = amount of money, just not in real time. It's determined beforehand.