NFL pondering expansion of playoffs

[chad72]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2012/12/12/nfl-playoff-expansion-roger-goodell/1765357/?kjnd=TdRgR5EjPrK7HoyekUnysmxpe0H%2BjfuyRgd38ca10G0uMRoarG0D6LTbBLKpXPJy-647f09ae-01ad-4a84-ad92-32709e87c226_K8eAeBT0OrjdmkMWEUOJIPzAhCKDS3NPIhK4bjBUCeHJib25AsfeHzfnJDn7X4Aq

I think this is a terrible idea.

Thoughts???

[Jules]

Why don't they just stop looking/pondering into changing so much. Sigh.

[FireJimCaldwell]

I'm all for it.

Get rid of the bye week all together move it to 16 teams. Since the high schools are finished playing there is no worry about playing on a Friday night.

8 games in wild card weekend

1 on Friday

3 on saturday

3 on sunday

1 on Monday

or

2 on Friday

3 on Sat

3 on Sun

[Tsarquise]

No....

Although... maybe best out of three... wins.... but that would be impossible.

[chad72]

I'm all for it.

Get rid of the bye week all together move it to 16 teams. Since the high schools are finished playing there is no worry about playing on a Friday night.

8 games in wild card weekend

1 on Friday

3 on saturday

3 on sunday

1 on Monday

or

2 on Friday

3 on Sat

3 on Sun

That is half the league, FJC. It is like the NBA then.

What is the reward for getting the best 2 records then?

I'd be fine with 14 teams, to be honest because 1 and only 1 team deserves the bye, the best one in the conference.

So, we will have 6 games on wild card weekend, 3 on Saturday, 3 on Sunday with 2 teams on bye.

[Gavin]

Seems like a way to get more money for the league while potentially damaging the integrity of the game by likely rewarding 500 or slightly worse teams into the playoffs on a fairly regular basis and leaving them with fairly high draft pick as well,

Thata boy Goodell keep trying to add to your ridiculous reign of foolishness as Commish

[Jules]

It better not happen. I mean seriously, my interest in this sport is gonna dive like it has with the NBA if they mess with too much. "Ponder" all you want but please stop meddling with a good thing IMO.

I mean yeah lets let more crap in the playoffs even if they finish with 7 or 8 wins. With this way we could get this years Jets in somehow which would probably make the league squeal like little girls since it's a NY team. Or even everyone's favorite the Saints could be alive and kicking to get into the playoffs.

[chad72]

The flip side of staying at 6 is there will be lots of occasions where teams with 10+ wins will be left out of the playoffs (Bucs and Giants in 2010). So expanding it to 7 may not be as bad. This is the reason why:

Expanding it to 7 in each conference ensures only 1 team is privileged with the bye week because there is truly only 1 homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. It will still be 14 out of 32 teams that would make it 43% of the teams.

[FireJimCaldwell]

That is half the league, FJC. It is like the NBA then.

What is the reward for getting the best 2 records then?

I'd be fine with 14 teams, to be honest because 1 and only 1 team deserves the bye, the best one in the conference.

So, we will have 6 games on wild card weekend, 3 on Saturday, 3 on Sunday with 2 teams on bye.

That's just how much I detest the bye week.

I can promise you there would be 1 & 2 seeds taking opening round losses...

[The Peytonator]

Monetary reasons, pure and simple. I love this league, but if there is a way they can make money, they will do it without regard to integrity of the game, player safety, and fan reaction. They want to put an NFL team in Europe....nuff said.

[T Y Goodbye]

If this keeps up, its going to end up like the NHL...where almost every team is in the playoffs, and the regular season doesn't really matter. I didn't like the WC when it first came out, (I'm still from the old school where I think the only teams that should be in the playoffs are the division winners). The two wild card spots did make more games important, and that was and is good for football, but I feel that the way the system is right now is working just fine, and should not be tampered with. This way, a team with a better record than a division winner in a weak conference, really doesn't get penalized for having a good regular season. It may happen occasionally, but its a lot better than having 14-16 teams in the playoffs..

Its not perfect by any means, but adding more playoff teams will water down the league. Jules said it perfectly in her post ..."I mean yeah lets let more crap in the playoffs even if they finish with 7 or 8 wins. With this way we could get this years Jets in somehow which would probably make the league squeal like little girls since it's a NY team. Or even everyone's favorite the Saints could be alive and kicking to get into the playoffs."

Teams should have to earn their way in...and 6-10, 7-9, and 8-8 (unless you win your division), shouldn't even be considered for the playoffs..

[CR91]

roger goodell is the dumbest commish in all of sports

[HungarianColtsFan]

I don't like the idea at first read.

I understand, that Goodell would deliver more football to fans (and more income from marketing and broadcast to the League), but IMO it would decrease the quality.

Playoffs could be extended by deciding wild card games in 2 games (1 home, 1 away, in case of 1-1 a third game @ tiebreaker's home-field) and eliminating bye week.

[BOTT]

bad idea, but it will generate money so i'm sure it will happen

[shakedownstreet]

[GoPats]

I don't like this idea at all. The thing about the NFL that's so appealing is the importance of every game. If half the teams in the league make the playoffs, my fear is that we'll see the same mentality in the NBA/NHL/MLB, where teams just sort of coast through the regular season and only try hard enough to make the playoffs.

It's bad enough that we usually see at least one .500 team come in as a wildcard. Can you imagine how much it would suck for the sport if a 7-9 team made it in and somehow pulled off an improbable Super Bowl run? Having .500 teams qualify for the post season is bad enough... I'd prefer to see the NFL leave this as-is. Just my opinion.

[BOTT]

bill polian just made a good case for expanding the playoff to 14 teams on espn radio.

[oldunclemark]

bill polian just made a good case for expanding the playoff to 14 teams on espn radio.

Its actually an obvious idea..

2 teams get bye weeks and all you would do is eliminate the byes....

More money for TV...more for owners..and (at the next CBA negotiations) more for players..

It will happen..

[oldunclemark]

Monetary reasons, pure and simple. I love this league, but if there is a way they can make money, they will do it without regard to integrity of the game, player safety, and fan reaction. They want to put an NFL team in Europe....nuff said.

what business doesn't try to make more money?

[oldunclemark]

The flip side of staying at 6 is there will be lots of occasions where teams with 10+ wins will be left out of the playoffs (Bucs and Giants in 2010). So expanding it to 7 may not be as bad. This is the reason why:

Expanding it to 7 in each conference ensures only 1 team is privileged with the bye week because there is truly only 1 homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. It will still be 14 out of 32 teams that would make it 43% of the teams.

I think its a good idea....

..and player safety has nothing to do with it,...a 12-team playoff and a 14-team playoff takes the same amount of time.

..and only 2 teams are playing one more game...

players have to stop whining about playing more....they all want to get paid more..but they say playing is too dangerous.

More games means more jobs

Either you do want to play in the NFL or you dont...

[FireJimCaldwell]

This is an idea that fans are either going to be for or against.

PFT has a poll up at 71% want no change.

13% want 14 teams

16% want 16 teams

I didn't see similar polls on ESPN.com or NFL.com.

[oldunclemark]

Seems like a way to get more money for the league while potentially damaging the integrity of the game by likely rewarding 500 or slightly worse teams into the playoffs on a fairly regular basis and leaving them with fairly high draft pick as well,

Thata boy Goodell keep trying to add to your ridiculous reign of foolishness as Commish

The intergrity of a game where union ballplayers in New Orleans are encouraged by their coaches to pay 'hit money' to disable other union ballplayers...?

That game? That integrity?

[FireJimCaldwell]

Seems like a way to get more money for the league while potentially damaging the integrity of the game by likely rewarding 500 or slightly worse teams into the playoffs on a fairly regular basis and leaving them with fairly high draft pick as well,

Thata boy Goodell keep trying to add to your ridiculous reign of foolishness as Commish

Let's just look at the last 5 years to see what teams would be added to the playoffs.

Expanding to 14 teams

2011 NFC Chicago 8-8 & AFC Tennessee 9-7

2010 NFC NY Giants 10-6 & AFC San Diego 9-7

2009 NFC Atlanta 9-7 & AFC Houston 9-7

2008 NFC Tampa Bay 9-7 & AFC New England 11-5

2007 NFC Minnesota 8-8 & AFC Cleveland 10-6

Exapanding to 16 teams(the teams listed above and one additional team from each conference

2011 NFC Arizona 8-8 & AFC Jets 8-8

2010 NFC Tampa Bay 10-6 & AFC Jacksonville 8-8

2009 NFC Carolina 8-8 & AFC Pittsburgh 9-7

2008 NFC Dallas 9-7 & AFC Jets 9-7

2007 NFC Philadelphia 8-8 & AFC Houston 8-8

Expanding to 14 teams would have added:

1 11-5 team

2 10-6 teams

5 9-7 teams

2 8-8 teams

Expanding to 16 teams would have added

1 11-5 team

3 10-6 teams

8 9-7 teams

8 8-8 teams

Like I said in a previous post, I can promise you some of these teams would have advanced and who knows... One or more might even be wearing a ring.

If you go back to 2010, Seattle wins a weak west with a 7-9 record, while 2 10-6 teams are sitting at home in the NFC. That's how the cards fell. That 7-9 team surprisingly beat the defending Super Bowl Champions. It's the playoffs anything can happen. To me there is nothing wrong with more playoff games.

[oldunclemark]

That's good stuff, FJC.....

..as long as no sub. 500s were added...more playoff games are a good thing

[JoKeR]

Why don't they just stop looking/pondering into changing so much. Sigh.

This is my thoughts exactly. The NFL is more popular than its ever been, it doesn't need change rightnow. It's doesn't need more teams, more playoff seeds, or more games.

[Moose Of Woe]

Seriously, HALF THE LEAGUE?

Let's just let every team in to the playoffs.

Oh, while we're at it, expand the regular season to 32 games. We're concerned about money player safety, but it's the fans that matter most.

I propose a new rule, Goodell can't propose any more changes for a minimum of five seasons and needs to LEAVE SUCH A BELOVED SPORT THE HECK ALONE.

[shakedownstreet]

If you go back to 2010, Seattle wins a weak west with a 7-9 record, while 2 10-6 teams are sitting at home in the NFC. That's how the cards fell. That 7-9 team surprisingly beat the defending Super Bowl Champions. It's the playoffs anything can happen. To me there is nothing wrong with more playoff games.

can't remember the year sandy eggo won their division at 8-8. the wild card colts had to go there and lost

[FireJimCaldwell]

can't remember the year sandy eggo won their division at 8-8. the wild card colts had to go there and lost

Anomalies happen(doesn't that sound like a t-shirt/bumper sticker) ... They won their division. There has to be some form of reward for that... I would have liked to play that game in Indy, but so be it.

[shakedownstreet]

Anomalies happen(doesn't that sound like a t-shirt/bumper sticker) ... They won their division. There has to be some form of reward for that... I would have liked to play that game in Indy, but so be it.

i totally agree. it makes winning the division the primary goal in the regular season, and the game is better for it

[BOTT]

looking at FJC's post i wouldn't mind 14 team playoff, but 16 kinda sucks

[PrincetonTiger]

wow

[MAC]

The one thing you know about sports leagues is that they never know when to leave well enough alone. The NFL is special because there are so few games that every single one is a pressure filled event. The more teams you allow in the playoffs, the less the regular season games mean. With 16 they would suddenly be very close to a situation where any decent team would assume they are making the playoffs if they just show up for half their games. The NBA is so ridiculous that you wonder if it might be better just to extend the playoffs one more round, and turn the whole thing into a best of 7 knockoff tournament. The regular season is largely a dull joke, with the only excitement being late season fights for the 8th seed. Do we really need to take a step closer to that?

[MAC]

Or put another way, right now the AFC is largely about exciting wars on a couple of fronts: the Colts, Bengals and Steelers vying for two playoff spots, and the division leaders vying for byes (with a couple of less likely side stories). If the new system were in place, the Colts Bengals and Steelers would essentially all be locks for the playoffs, and the byes wouldn't exist. The "exciting stories" would be about the Bills, Dolphins, Jets, Browns Titans and Chargers all fighting for that final playoff spot. Every one of them are teams that we consider to be in the middle of failed - and in many cases embarrassing - seasons. All but one has given up more points than they've scored (some a LOT more). Virtually all are destined for a draft pick in the top half of the first round - a rare experience for a good team. Yet these are who national tv will focus on while the top teams debate resting players. Jets versus Bills - a game most would consider a joke - might be the key game of the final weekend. Is that really worth making wild-card weekend a little bit more interesting?

[JoKeR]

I'm all for it.

Get rid of the bye week all together move it to 16 teams. Since the high schools are finished playing there is no worry about playing on a Friday night.

8 games in wild card weekend

1 on Friday

3 on saturday

3 on sunday

1 on Monday

or

2 on Friday

3 on Sat

3 on Sun

I can understand you wouldn't mind seeing more football but IMO the playoffs need to stay more exclusive, more of a challenging goal. I don't ever wanna see a .500 team making the playoffs.

[Synthetic]

Roger Goodell proving once again he is the worst commissioner ever.

They will make sure they get their 34 team expansion with L.A. and another city, and looks like they are already looking ahead, might as well roll out the 18 game season too. All they care about is dolla dolla bill y'all. Stack a dolla, make it go cha-ching! $$$$$$$$$$$

[Vltrophy1]

Three words describes my feelings about expanding the playoffs. NO! NO! NO! U expand it then u start letting in mediocre teams in. Why not expand the playoffs to 32 teams. Keep it at 12. They get paid to play. The fewer teams in the playoffs the better they have to play to make the playoffs

[amazingcolts]

Umm...No. Leave it the way it is. I really don't want a team that's under .500 playing in the playoffs.

[Vltrophy1]

Back in 2010 Seattle won their div & w/a 7-9 record just think if we had 16 teams in the playoffs. We might've had a .500 or worse other than the Seahawks. Make'm earn their money & a playoff spot. In case u haven't heard this is football not wussyball like Goodell is trying to make it

[FireJimCaldwell]

I can understand you wouldn't mind seeing more football but IMO the playoffs need to stay more exclusive, more of a challenging goal. I don't ever wanna see a .500 team making the playoffs.

Umm...No. Leave it the way it is. I really don't want a team that's under .500 playing in the playoffs.

Basically the only way that would likely happen would be like Seattle from a couple of years ago, winning a division at 7-9. That year there were two 10-6 teams left out of the playoffs.

Since they won their division, they would have made the playoffs if they dialed it back to 4 teams per conference as long as they left it as the division champs making the playoffs.

I'm sure there could be a scenario where one could squeak in, but it would be fairly rare.

[Vltrophy1]

Let's just look at the last 5 years to see what teams would be added to the playoffs.

Expanding to 14 teams

2011 NFC Chicago 8-8 & AFC Tennessee 9-7

2010 NFC NY Giants 10-6 & AFC San Diego 9-7

2009 NFC Atlanta 9-7 & AFC Houston 9-7

2008 NFC Tampa Bay 9-7 & AFC New England 11-5

2007 NFC Minnesota 8-8 & AFC Cleveland 10-6

Exapanding to 16 teams(the teams listed above and one additional team from each conference

2011 NFC Arizona 8-8 & AFC Jets 8-8

2010 NFC Tampa Bay 10-6 & AFC Jacksonville 8-8

2009 NFC Carolina 8-8 & AFC Pittsburgh 9-7

2008 NFC Dallas 9-7 & AFC Jets 9-7

2007 NFC Philadelphia 8-8 & AFC Houston 8-8

Expanding to 14 teams would have added:

1 11-5 team

2 10-6 teams

5 9-7 teams

2 8-8 teams

Expanding to 16 teams would have added

1 11-5 team

3 10-6 teams

8 9-7 teams

8 8-8 teams

Like I said in a previous post, I can promise you some of these teams would have advanced and who knows... One or more might even be wearing a ring.

If you go back to 2010, Seattle wins a weak west with a 7-9 record, while 2 10-6 teams are sitting at home in the NFC. That's how the cards fell. That 7-9 team surprisingly beat the defending Super Bowl Champions. It's the playoffs anything can happen. To me there is nothing wrong with more playoff games.

lets expand it to 32 teams in the next 5-6 yrs. why not? Any team can beat any other team on any given day. That's why u play the game. Expanding the playoffs is totally crazy. Keep it at 12. Make them earn it. This is football not wussyball