(1) Injures that occur during the preseason are worse than those that occur week 1.
I never said that at all. I don't think they're worse or better. I just think you're elongating the season unnecessarily and increasing the risk of injury for no reason.
Let players practice. They won't get injured that way unlike in games. Okay, tell that to Kam Chancellor among others.
I never said that either. Practice all you want, as much as you think is needed.
(3) Don't televise the games. I get something like 400 channels. If I don't want to watch a NFL preseason football game there are hundreds of other options.
They are packaging this as a product and it's a bad product. I don't have to watch, true. But I'd prefer it not even exist, especially because it controls the news cycle and lasts too long.
(4) Don't make you pay for the game. You don't have to. Yes, If you want season tickets you have to buy the whole season. But if they got rid of the preseason which of the following is more likely (a) the annual cost will remain the same (or go up) with that amount of money divided by 8 rather than 10 OR (b) the per ticket price per game will remain the same with season ticket holders paying 20% less. If you picked (b) I have a unicorn to sell you.
The market will determine what a ticket will bring. So, they can raise the ticket price all they want, but the market will (and is determining that). It's irritating to have to pay full price for a game where the market value is $15.
(5) Coaches don't need the preseason game to trim the roster from 80 to 53 and choose the starters. Statements by coaches seem to suggest otherwise. Also those game films allow other teams to pick up bubble players that are cut.
(6) It will be fair as long as no team has a preseason game. This is true. It would also be fair if every team got 5 downs, if timeouts lasted 5 mins, if they stopped using an oblong ball and used a round one instead, required that punters wear pink shoe laces or extended the preseason from 4 games to 6. EVERY rule change would be fair, that is never the issue. Question is would the change improve the game. you have offered nothing to suggest that.
The point I'm making is to refute what teams need to tool their roster. So long as all teams have no games, there is no competitive advantage.
And removing pre-season would make it better. 20% of your season is meaningless, shitty football where the stakes vary greatly from player to player, introducing increased injury risk. Cut it or extend the season to accommodate it.
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