NFL faces tough obstacles before any 17th game

[G. Host]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2866817
For years, die-hard NFL fans, particularly those who regularly buy season tickets, ask why the NFL doesn't shorten the preseason to two games and play 18 regular-season games. This is the first time in recent memory the league has acknowledged it is considering expanding the regular-season schedule at the expense of the preseason. To make this move, the preseason would be three games and the regular season would be 17. Doing that would allow the league's 32 teams to avoid having a season in which teams had only seven regular-season home games.

Obstacles:

NFL Players Union
Additional cost to networks
Teams would lose the preseason game where they do not need to share as much revenue and pay players much less
There is a fear of labor disharmony after the 2008 season because owners didn't like the collective bargaining extension signed in 2006. To keep the salary cap, outgoing commissioner Paul Tagliabue had to accept the NFLPA's final proposal, which clearly favored the players.

Yeah they gave way too much to players and there is no going back.

[Mitchy moo]

There is a fear of labor disharmony after the 2008 season because owners didn't like the collective bargaining extension signed in 2006.

RW might of been the smartest person in the room by voting no, I bet more than half of the owners now wish they voted w/ RW.

[Throne Logic]

[QUOTE=G. Host]To make this move, the preseason would be three games and the regular season would be 17. Doing that would allow the league's 32 teams to avoid having a season in which teams had only seven regular-season home games.

Perhaps I'm just too tired to do the math. Could someone please explain to me how 17 games is equally divided into home and away games? Last I checked, 17 was a prime number.

Although it is clearly stated that teams won't be stuck with only 7 home games, is it not logical that some will be stuck with 8 home games while other teams get 9?

Yes, I understand that a few games will be on foreign soil. But there would have to be 16 games on neutral ground to balance the home / away schedule. I just don't see that working out.

There is an entirely different reason why the NFL should be weary of increasing the regular season. How many husbands are already straining their marital relationships just to squeeze in 16 games plus the playoffs. If you start extending that, just for haha's, we should keep an eye on the divorce rate.

[Pride]

Thats exactly what they are saying.. every team would play 1 international game, so you have 8 home, 8 away in US, and 1 away international. = 17

[G. Host]

I have trouble believing there is a market for 16 games a year.

Two a year in London, Toronto and each of the German cities which currently has a NFLE team seems tough sell.