Get rid of the damn preseason

[Klaista2k]

**** is so boring I don't even watch it anymore.

Wasn't the NFL supposed to shorten it awhile ago?

[OpIv37]

I don't think they should get rid of it but they should definitely shorten it.

I think it's a money thing- they force season ticket holders to pay full price for 10 games when it's really 8.

2 games should be sufficient. Then they could start the season a week earlier and the SB wouldn't have to be in ****ing February.

[endzone]

I don't think they should get rid of it but they should definitely shorten it.

I think it's a money thing- they force season ticket holders to pay full price for 10 games when it's really 8.

2 games should be sufficient. Then they could start the season a week earlier and the SB wouldn't have to be in ****ing February.

100% agree! Local TV networks are buying the games and the NFL loves that money. It's getting sad to the point real NFL fans are tuning out!

[Arm of Harm]

I don't think they should get rid of it but they should definitely shorten it.

I think it's a money thing- they force season ticket holders to pay full price for 10 games when it's really 8.

2 games should be sufficient. Then they could start the season a week earlier and the SB wouldn't have to be in ****ing February.
I have no problem with there being an exhibition season, nor with that season being four games long. A good opportunity for coaches and front office personnel to see how their second and third string players stack up against the second and third stringers on other teams. Sometimes a player like Fred Jackson makes a name for himself in preseason years before he's given the opportunity to play in the regular season.

However, what I do object to is the NFL charging full price for preseason games. A preseason game is not a regular season game, and should not be priced anywhere close to a regular season game. If it was maybe a quarter the price of a regular season game, that would be about right. And would be a way for people to see a football game in person for the first time, without shelling out regular season ticket money.

[YardRat]

I like the idea of practicing against other teams under 'real' game conditions and don't mind the four games, but wouldn't whine if they shortened it up.

[Turf]

I think three games would work. The fourth game is a waste. Question is would the 3rd game become the 4th boring game. Probably not as much because they do need some time to get ready and make cuts.

[kishoph]

Four games are too many IMO, maybe cut it down to two games. With the way the NFLPA has made practices, I think the players need a couple of games to get used to some full contact.

[OpIv37]

I have no problem with there being an exhibition season, nor with that season being four games long. A good opportunity for coaches and front office personnel to see how their second and third string players stack up against the second and third stringers on other teams. Sometimes a player like Fred Jackson makes a name for himself in preseason years before he's given the opportunity to play in the regular season.

However, what I do object to is the NFL charging full price for preseason games. A preseason game is not a regular season game, and should not be priced anywhere close to a regular season game. If it was maybe a quarter the price of a regular season game, that would be about right. And would be a way for people to see a football game in person for the first time, without shelling out regular season ticket money.

But what does playing our 2nd and 3rd stringers against their 2nd and 3rd stringers really tell a coach? That situation is highly unlikely to occur in the regular season. We need to know if our 2nd and 3rd stringers can hold their own against their first stringers if someone gets hurt or just needs a breather. Playing their scrubs against ours doesn't show us that.

[Arm of Harm]

But what does playing our 2nd and 3rd stringers against their 2nd and 3rd stringers really tell a coach? That situation is highly unlikely to occur in the regular season. We need to know if our 2nd and 3rd stringers can hold their own against their first stringers if someone gets hurt or just needs a breather. Playing their scrubs against ours doesn't show us that.


If you see a second or third stringer get dominated by four consecutive opponents' second or third stringers, that probably tells you all you need to know about that player. On the other hand, let's say you see one of your second or third stringers consistently dominate against four other teams' second or third stringers. Is that a guarantee your second or third stringer deserves to be a starter? Of course not. But it does tell you that maybe you should give the guy a few opportunities here and there in the regular season, to see how he does with those.

[Novacane]

Don't you know they need those extra games to decide who's going to get the 50-53rd spots on the roster. The money has nothing to do with it

[JoeMama]

Boy, what would we ever do without these preseason games?

Not only is the product itself awful and played at an unbearably slow pace, but they cram just as many commercial breaks into their broadcasts as the regular season.

I'm glad NFL Network whittles it down into something shorter on replays.

[OpIv37]

If you see a second or third stringer get dominated by four consecutive opponents' second or third stringers, that probably tells you all you need to know about that player. On the other hand, let's say you see one of your second or third stringers consistently dominate against four other teams' second or third stringers. Is that a guarantee your second or third stringer deserves to be a starter? Of course not. But it does tell you that maybe you should give the guy a few opportunities here and there in the regular season, to see how he does with those.

So basically you find out who's really bad but you don't know who's actually good. Do we need 4 games for that?

[Bill Cody]

It's 1000% about $ for the owners. They basically make a windfall on preseason, the players are playing these games for free. The NFL is going to kill this sport eventually. NFL football is the equivalent of a guy smoking 5 packs a day of Camels for 20 years except it's the brain getting abused not the lungs. But they continue pushing it anyway because it's big big business. They should really go back to 12 games (which they did from 1947-1960) and 2 preseason. Then maybe these guys would have some chance of living normal lives after they're done. I expect as we find out more about brain trauma we'll discover that 16 games and 4 preseason is a couple steps below the lions and the gladiators.

[OpIv37]

Also, can anyone name another sport where the preseason is as long as 1/4 as the regular season?

That's insane.

[Novacane]

MLB plays 35 games so they are fairly close to 25%. It's not the same though. The games are their practice.