Rumor: NFL Considering Expanding to 18 Games...What's Next, 16 Playoff Teams?

Money is the root of all evil. I believe I have heard that somewhere before.

There is only one reason NFL-looking-to-expand-to-18-regular-season-games?urn=nfl,119065" target="_blank">the NFL is considering expanding its schedule to 18 games—money. Rather than being happy with the current state of games, there is a call to expand that number.

On the surface it sounds good, and as a lifelong football fan I can sense the excitement that would bring. However, there are several items of concern that I believe will be a result of this.

Higher salaries

If the NFL season has 18 games, players would need more money, and with that comes higher ticket prices.. Do you honestly believe the owner(s) will not increase ticket prices?

There are those who might say, “Well, we’re removing two preseason games and replacing them with real games.” Why not just have three preseason games and keep the 16 regular season games?

If there are two preseason games, the development phase of young players will be shortened, and an injury might be carried over into the regular season; whereas there may have been more time to heal with an extended preseason.

Injuries

A prolonged season surely will mean more injuries, and with those injuries more liability for the league. Also, imagine key players being lost for the season, and with a shorter offseason, those injuries become an even greater impact.

Expanded playoff format

Where will it stop? If there is a longer season, teams will demand an expanded playoff format merely out of fairness to all the work. What is now a six-team per conference playoff system, I see an eventual eight team per conference scenario.

A long season

One attractive factor to the NFL is not just the game itself, but the fact it seems to be over before we know it, and with that comes a sense of urgency and excitement. Roughly lasting five months, football represents a reasonable timeline for games, playoffs, and the Super Bowl.

This is as opposed to baseball, basketball, or hockey, which seem to go on forever. Unless you are a die-hard, one hardly follows the other professional sports all the way through.

I would say that most professional owners are greedy. It's all about revenue, revenue, revenue. Oh sure, they talk a good game. They talk about integrity, tradition, etc., but when it comes down to it, it’s a bottom line game, and if they can get two more regular season games out of fans, why not?

I don’t know about you, but I can’t afford to go to a game anymore. It’s either a professional football game or groceries this week. Honestly, I don’t know how people do it.

It seems as though it’s a once-a-season event to go to a game.

I do know this. We are being fleeced, all for the sake of entertainment, and in most cases we are susceptible (to put it nicely) to ponying up the dough to support this industry.

So, when (and I feel it will happen) the schedule is expanded to 18 games, fans will pay more, and if their team has a bad year, they will whine and pine for glory days, and lament the money spent.

However, if they are lucky enough to have a winning team in their city, the money was well worth it. I hope so, for all of your sakes. As for me, I have to go grocery shopping; enjoy the game.