Thoughts On The NFL Expanding Playoffs

[Money]

The NBA allows so many teams in the playoffs that a veteran team like the Spurs rested their stars in early December and didn't even fly them to Miami for a road game. What the hell is one loss to the Spurs? NBA teams even rest their starters at the end of the season when they have a shot at home court advantage because rested stars are better than a one game advantage at home. Is that what the NFL is going to soon become?

This is a bit of a stretch. The NBA plays 82 games the difference of one game means little. In the NFL every game means something until you are eliminated and in most cases that's late in the season. I agree it must stop somewhere, but comparing the impact on an 16 game schedule in comparison with an 82 game schedule does not make your point, IMO.

Right now one game means the difference between 9-7 or 8-8 which as we all know is huge. This is not the case in sports that play 3-4 times per week. The biggest reason not to do it is that the players cannot withstand the physical punishment. It's already to much from that standpoint.

[Tom Kessenich]

Watching the Bengals, currently a fringe lottery team, bumble and stumble their way last night to a win over the horrific Eagles has me wondering - Do we really need more teams like that in the playoffs?

[chriseibl]

Home field/court is also far more important in the NBA judging objectively by win/loss records. NFL teams have little to play for if the difference between a 15-1 and 7-9 season is home field advantage. Not to mention that's part of the reason the NBA season is extremely boring from a meaningfulness of the games perspective (I enjoy the play on the court but that's another subject). I don't feel like they're playing for anything when they are jostling for a 2. vs. 3 seed.

Home field in the NFL is worth about 3 points per Vegas. Sure, that field goal is somewhat important for teams to try to earn but that pretty much becomes all teams are playing for in the regular season. I'd much rather rest my players and go into the playoffs at 100% health.

Consider that keeping people healthy is MUCH more important in the NFL than other sport, i doubt it would make sense to exhaust your starters fighting for a number 1 seed when that 3 points is all you're getting back.

not to mention crappy teams can get hot for short stretches. the arizona cardinals were 4-0 with wins over the patriots and seahawks.

besides fantasy football, i find the nfl's regular season VERY interesting for the fact that everyone is fighting for something, the best teams are fighting for byes, the good teams are fighting for the playoffs, and the teams who haven't won games don't get free handouts to the playoffs. i would definitely be upset if that entertaining aspect of the nfl's regular season went away.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Doesn't it seem like every word out of Goodell's mouth sounds like "Revenue, Revenue, More Revenue"? I mean, every new initiative by him smacks of getting more revenue no matter if it affects the health of the players or the good of the game. It's already the most popular sport in America on 3-4 nights a week, so why keep messing with the winning formula?

18 game regular season? Bad idea Roger
16 playoff teams? Bad idea Roger
Bountygate? Well, bad all around NFL

Keep the playoffs to 12 teams. Heck, move Thursday Night Football to Saturday nights (you know it's killing the NFL that college football is having killer ratings in Primetime on Saturdays) or add a 2nd bye week to the season so that every Thursday Night team is coming off a bye week. I'd rather have that happen and give up one week before the Super Bowl than continue with this crappy football on Thursday Nights. Yeah, ratings are up 11% this year, but the product is pitiful and fans are staying away from the games (did you see that crowd last night in Philly?)

USA Today reported before last night's games that Thursday Night Games are:
** averaging almost 1 turnover more per game than on all other days
** Winning margins are almost 2 points higher on Thursday than on all other days
** Lead changes in the second half of Thursday games are 20% compared to 43.5% for all other games (teams can't battle back)
** Road teams are 5-8 now in Thursday Night Games on the NFL Network

I'd rather keep 4 pre-season games than add more playoff teams. Stop chasing every last dime Roger and give up this latest idea.

[Greg Ambrosius]

Geez, I don't normally agree with a Viking, but Jared Allen sure makes a lot of sense here:

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/87470 ... ffs-stupid

[CALI CARTEL]

The biggest difference in the NFL Playoffs vs NBA Playoffs is the 1-and-done nature. In the NBA, they play 7-game series starting in Round 1, the best team over 7 games is usually going to advance. In the NFL, 1 bad game and 15-1 Home Field Advantage teams go down the drain.

The limited number of playoff spots in the NFL are extremely tough to get and should be, because when you get in, the #6 seed can win the whole thing. In the NBA, the #6-8 seeds might steal a round here and there, but very few have ever made the Conference Finals, and I believe the 5th seed Rockets in the mid 90's were the lowest seeded Champion ever.

We've had too many 8-8 teams make the playoffs recently due to the Four Division setup..if you can't win your Division or finish in the top 2 Division runner ups, you don't deserve to make the playoffs. One thing I like with the current setup is a last place team cannot make the playoffs, but if you go to 4 Wild Cards, that becomes obsolete.