Preseason: A Poll

[Dave Gray]

If we have 18 regular season games and another bye week does that mean starting the season in early August or are we having the Super Bowl in March?

4 preseason + 16 games + 1 bye = 21 weeks
0 preseason + 18 games + 2 byes = 20 weeks
2 preseason + 1 week rest + 18 games + 2 byes = 23 weeks 

If we did the last option, I'd just start the season 2 weeks earlier, I guess.  Also, I don't like the gap between the season and the Super Bowl, but that's just me, so I'd cut that back.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

You’re not worried starting the week before Labor Day and having games on Labor Day weekend might result in people not paying for the first two weeks any any team that starts 0-2 (about 25% of all teams) have a disenfranchised fan base that never really gets excited about their team.  You don’t think that the sport might weakened if a change in the schedule creates fights because for the last 20 years there has been a family get together on Labor Day weekend, which the football fans want out of and non football fan family members consider this too much. 

People already have their Labor Day weekend traditions.   (Which often include being yelled at by wife to discuss something else with family members than upcoming FF draft). Actually having games won’t be good for the sport.

[Tenshot13]

My Labor Day tradition would be football. 

[Phishfan]

I personally think Labor Day tradition might be stretching the discussion a bit. I personally don't know of anyone with such a thing off the top of my head and it honestly couldn't be any worse than football on Thanksgiving could it?

[Spider-Dan]

If it were up to me, I'd have NFL preseason start in early August, and NBA season open on Thanksgiving with the Finals running during Fourth of July.  Whatever it takes to reduce the dead zone between basketball and football as much as possible.

[CF DolFan]

If it were up to me, I'd have NFL preseason start in early August, and NBA season open on Thanksgiving with the Finals running during Fourth of July.  Whatever it takes to reduce the dead zone between basketball and football as much as possible.

hahahah ... for me it's between football and baseball. I couldn't care less about basketball.

[Tenshot13]

^ x2.  It's NFL and college football for me, and maybe a little hockey later on.

[DaLittle B]

I'm a football - baseball guy also...

If the season went through Feb,I'd be fine with it as I like to watch the cold snowy games on T.V.,and generally I'm pretty bored with what is one T.V.....Starting earlier,I don't really know,perhaps 1 week earlier at most.Living in the midwest,I'm still in Camping/floating do outdoors stuff into October,before it gets too cold and I've got to prepare for winter.

I see the owners,especially in the northern Climates,would more strongly object to longer season for 2 reasons off the top of my head..
1.) Perhaps less people go to the game,with bad roads....
2.) Possible less beer sales in those colder games Jan-Feb games...

I imagine there are more real reasons I just can't think of at the moment...

[masterfins]

You need the preseason to evaluate young talent, and older signings to see if they have anything left.  I'd be for reducing it to three games, and adding another bye week.

[Dave Gray]

I think 3 games is kinda impossible because it's an odd number of home and away games.

[Tenshot13]

^1 home, 1 away, 1 alternate every year (like how we play the Bucs every preseason, do that league wide where two teams in close proximity play each other and rotate home field[although that might mess up season tickets, and it is all about $$$]).

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Bigger problem with going to three is 17 regular season games.  Or are we going to put 16 games in London and Mexico

[CF DolFan]

^^^^ That actually sounds good to me. If they add a game then no one loses a home game ... and they get to market more out of the country.