17 game NFL schedule

[PantherRob82]

What do you guys think? I like the idea of each team playing an international game.

[GannonFan]

I've got no problem with a 17 game schedule and every team playing an international game (UK, Germany, Mexico, or Canada). It's only one game for every team, it wouldn't cost anybody a home game since you're adding the extra game, it would lay the groundwork for really expanding the game worldwide, it would be cool to be travelling on business somewhere and be able to see an NFL game, and besides, it's one more week of watching football (not to mention fantasy football as well!) - nothing wrong with that!!!!! That would be 4 games in each of those countries, and the demand is clearly there in all of those places to justify it. I say do it. xthumbsupx

[th0m]

Yeah make sure to drop by in Amsterdam if you do!

[bluehenbillk]

More football = more fun!!

[UNHWildCats]

i think 17 international games per year is a bit much.

Its fine if it close, or if they play it early overseas where they can schedule a bye week around it, but doing it 17 times theres gonna be teams who are gonna be stuck with long trips and games on both sides of it.

I think the better route is to add the 17th game and mix in some international games, but also play 8 games in Los Angelas and a few in San Antonio each season (Atleast until LA gets a new team) Every two years LA can see each NFL team.

Games in Canada ok, MExico ok, but limit the overseas games to 1 or 2 each year.

[GannonFan]

i think 17 international games per year is a bit much.

Its fine if it close, or if they play it early overseas where they can schedule a bye week around it, but doing it 17 times theres gonna be teams who are gonna be stuck with long trips and games on both sides of it.

I think the better route is to add the 17th game and mix in some international games, but also play 8 games in Los Angelas and a few in San Antonio each season (Atleast until LA gets a new team) Every two years LA can see each NFL team.

Games in Canada ok, MExico ok, but limit the overseas games to 1 or 2 each year.

Well, we agree that Canada and Mexico are not big deals, but the UK and Germany are only about 6 hour flights from the East Coast (not that much longer from the West Coast I think) - considering that flying across the country is not much shorter I don't think these are long trips. It's not as if they are playing in Japan (which I would be fully against - just too far) and you could do it where the West Coast teams rarely, if ever, are on the European schedule - they can play in Canada and Mexico.

Oh, and it would just be 16 games to be played out of the country - still only 32 teams in the NFL. :p

[Mod33]

Well, we agree that Canada and Mexico are not big deals, but the UK and Germany are only about 6 hour flights from the East Coast (not that much longer from the West Coast I think) - considering that flying across the country is not much shorter I don't think these are long trips. It's not as if they are playing in Japan (which I would be fully against - just too far) and you could do it where the West Coast teams rarely, if ever, are on the European schedule - they can play in Canada and Mexico.

Oh, and it would just be 16 games to be played out of the country - still only 32 teams in the NFL. :p

A flight from JFK in NY to London takes 7h 20m

It also takes 5h 20m from LAX to JFK

so going from west coast to London takes about 13 hours.

[813Jag]

Sure why not. Let's turn America's Team into the World's Team. xlolx

[GannonFan]

Sure why not. Let's turn America's Team into the World's Team. xlolx

I think people around the globe already like the Eagles, thank you very much. :p

[813Jag]

I think people around the globe already like the Eagles, thank you very much. :p

The Eagles xlolx You guys have T.O. back now xlolx

[PantherRob82]

i think 17 international games per year is a bit much.

Its fine if it close, or if they play it early overseas where they can schedule a bye week around it, but doing it 17 times theres gonna be teams who are gonna be stuck with long trips and games on both sides of it.

.

I think all the international games would be the same week.

[UNHWildCats]

I think all the international games would be the same week.

Theres not enough international venues for that, there plans are multiple games in London, multiple in Toronto, multiple in Mexico City.....

[GannonFan]

I think all the international games would be the same week.

Not sure they have enough foreign venues to do that - that would take at least 8 different sites and have a doubleheader (or a game on Saturday and Sunday) at each site. I thought they'd have 4 weeks in which international games would be played, assuming they have 4 sites and a game a week.

[GannonFan]

Theres not enough international venues for that, there plans are multiple games in London, multiple in Toronto, multiple in Mexico City.....


I like the way you think! :p

[th0m]

Here are your 16 venues. I barely scratched the surface. It's not so much a matter of having the venues, it's a matter of having the fan interest, and I think, keeping the novelty. Germany and England seem to be the best markets for European NFL games. A whole host of modern stadiums in Japan, China and Korea could also host a game.

Allianz Arena, 70k - Munchen, Germany
Olympiastadion, 76k - Berlin, Germany
Veltins Arena, 60k - Gelsenkirchen, Germany
AOL Arena, 55k - Hamburg, Germany
Amsterdam ArenA, 51k - Amsterdam, Netherlands
Wembley Stadium, 90k - London, England
Emirates Stadium, 60k - London, England
San Siro, 86k - Milan, Italy
Stadio Olimpico, 82k - Rome, Italy
Stade de France, 79k - Paris, France
Camp Nou, 98k - Barcelona, Spain
Santiago Bernabeu, 80k - Madrid, Spain
Estádio da Luz, 65k - Lisbon, Portugal
Estádio do Dragão, 50k - Porto, Portugal
Olympic Stadium, 74k - Athens, Greece
Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadi, 82k - Istanbul, Turkey

London's 2nd venue is Twickenham of course, but I think they solely play rugby there. Would of course be way more suitable than Emirates, but I'd venture a guess that English pride would be in the wayof playing this American copy of 'their' sport in the Wembley of rugby.

[Fresno St. Alum]

I like 17. I'd like 18 more without all of the teams having to play out of the country

[UNHWildCats]

Theres more to a stadium then seating capacity. For instance, Wembley isnt built for American football and can just barely fit a playing surface within its field.

The problem with a lot of possible sites is that the stadiums fall a couple yards shy of available area for the playing surface.

Not to mention the nightmare logistics that the NFL would have to pull off to play 16 games over seas on the same weekend. Remeber the NFL had to cancel the exebition in China this summer because they couldnt handle preparing for that and the London game.

[BigApp]

1. Amsterdam
2. Cologne
3. Rhein
4. Frankfurt
5. Hamburg
6. Berlin
7. London
8. Barcelona
9. Glasgow
10. Birmingham
11. Bristol
12. Dusseldorf
13. Edinburgh
14. Tokyo
15. Mexico City
16. Montreal

have already hosted NFL regulation/rules football. Stadiums aren't the issue, it's the ability to sell tickets for more than they already do here!

[th0m]

Theres more to a stadium then seating capacity. For instance, Wembley isnt built for American football and can just barely fit a playing surface within its field.

The problem with a lot of possible sites is that the stadiums fall a couple yards shy of available area for the playing surface.

Not to mention the nightmare logistics that the NFL would have to pull off to play 16 games over seas on the same weekend. Remeber the NFL had to cancel the exebition in China this summer because they couldnt handle preparing for that and the London game.

A soccer pitch is around the same length as a gridiron pitch. A soccer pitch can somewhat vary from stadium to stadium, but usually ranging from 100-120 metres (110-130 yards). Seeing as how the goal is behind the pitch, and there's boarding around the field usually (on the side where there are no dugouts. In soccer, the benches are on one side), a football pitch fits easily.

Here is something to illustrate the difference between a soccer and a FB pitch:

http://www.concacaf.com/competitions/goldcup/2005/downloads/RELIANT_STADIUM/Reliant.png

http://www.qscaudio.com/images/press/2004/02_04/superbowl_2004_hi.jpg

Not too shabby if you ask me.

Don't forget about the numerous stadiums that host NFL Europe games. They all double as soccer stadiums and are quite representative of how it can fit.

[GannonFan]

It's not just who has the stadiums, it's where you want to do it. Why would you schedule more than 4 games up front anywhere in the UK? Where is the demonstrated demand for that many games? The Monarchs and the Claymores both fizzled out of the UK. Besides, why would you want to have a game in London one week and then Birmingham the next - they aren't that far apart. Keep in one spot, people can buy a season ticket package and get the same seats, and if you keep the games to a minimum the demand will be there. Remember, there's only 16 games total to go around (the NFL isn't going to have teams play multiple international games - they'd lose home games and no one's doing that long term) so you have to spread it around.

Same thing with Germany - how many different cities are you going to put it in that aren't all that far apart to begin with?

UK, Germany, Mexico, and Canada work just fine. You can pick one stadium in each, plan it and market it right, and get 4 games into each venue. It would be a nice little season ticket package, especially if you do the 4 games over an 8 week period - nice little build up before each game.

[spelunker64]

This is a bad idea. 16 games makes for an even schedule, easy for playoffs. I don't think the players would be much in favor of it, listening to former and current players on NFL radio. The jet lag of an overseas game effects the players more than you would think.

[GannonFan]

This is a bad idea. 16 games makes for an even schedule, easy for playoffs. I don't think the players would be much in favor of it, listening to former and current players on NFL radio. The jet lag of an overseas game effects the players more than you would think.


I don't get the even schedule comment - what's even? The number? Why does that matter? And why would 17 games then be harder for the playoffs? You have more games and therefore more chance for separation.

As for the jet lag, they do have a whole week to readjust - heck, there are business people flying back and forth everyday and they manage. Besides, you could always have these games come before a bye week and then these guys could get 2 weeks to readjust their clocks. Besides, you're only talking about a 5 or 6 hour difference for most - no one's seriously talking about games in Japan.

[spelunker64]

I don't get the even schedule comment - what's even? The number? Why does that matter? And why would 17 games then be harder for the playoffs? You have more games and therefore more chance for separation.

As for the jet lag, they do have a whole week to readjust - heck, there are business people flying back and forth everyday and they manage. Besides, you could always have these games come before a bye week and then these guys could get 2 weeks to readjust their clocks. Besides, you're only talking about a 5 or 6 hour difference for most - no one's seriously talking about games in Japan.

And you played NFL football? I've heard from Randy Cross, Jerry Rice, Jim Miller, Solomon Wilcots, Bart Scott, etc. saying that overseas games take away a lot and that they are not easy to get over.

As far as 16 vs. 17, certain teams will have more home games than others, advantage that way not to mention $$$$. I don't mind the NFL doing some international play during the preseason. Maybe week 3 and dropping the 4th game.

[GannonFan]

And you played NFL football? I've heard from Randy Cross, Jerry Rice, Jim Miller, Solomon Wilcots, Bart Scott, etc. saying that overseas games take away a lot and that they are not easy to get over.

As far as 16 vs. 17, certain teams will have more home games than others, advantage that way not to mention $$$$. I don't mind the NFL doing some international play during the preseason. Maybe week 3 and dropping the 4th game.

And most of those guys travelled from the West Coast to either Europe or Japan - notice I said above, you could keep it under control by mainly having East Coast teams (Eastern or Central Time Zones) playing in the UK or Germany. The West Coast teams can play in Canada and Mexico regularly. And again, there's still going to be a bye week (the 17th game would mean the preseason would be one less week in duration), do they need more than 2 weeks to get over a 5 hour plane ride???

As for the 17 games, that's why they want to make it 17 - the 16 game schedule wouldn't be affected and the 17th game would be the international game - that's still 8 home games for everybody and no one's losing a home game. No one's losing money on something like this.

[spelunker64]

Plus I don't want to watch the NFL at 6am or 1am in the morning when It's being played in Germany or Japan or wherever.

Give me my noon and 3pm on Sunday and I'm happy.

[GannonFan]

Plus I don't want to watch the NFL at 6am or 1am in the morning when It's being played in Germany or Japan or wherever.

Give me my noon and 3pm on Sunday and I'm happy.

Where do you think Germany is???? They are 6 hours ahead of East Coast time. They could play the game at 9PM their time and the East Coast would see it at 3PM. The UK's an hour closer, and obviously Mexico and Canada aren't an issue. No one, NFL included, is even considering playing in Japan.

[spelunker64]

Where do you think Germany is???? They are 6 hours ahead of East Coast time. They could play the game at 9PM their time and the East Coast would see it at 3PM. The UK's an hour closer, and obviously Mexico and Canada aren't an issue. No one, NFL included, is even considering playing in Japan.

Germany's in south central North Dakota. xlolx xsmiley_wix



It's a little of my, NFL Americas Game bias, coming through on my dislike for this idea.

[th0m]

Hey I watch games when it's 6 hours later here all the time, so you should be able to watch one 6 hours earlier ;) A 7PM kickoff on a saturday is 1PM on the eastcoast. Not too shabby for the weekend, right?