OT: Thursday Games and Bye Weeks

[MHSL82]

I was wondering what your thoughts on possibly adding more Thursday night games throughout the season but have them played after a bye week. There are enough teams every week that don't play that week that could play the next Thursday. It would go something like this:

49ers play on October 30. Then play on Thursday November 10. Then play on November 20. There would still be three games in four weeks.

My thoughts are that there would be a quite obvious tradeoff.

1. There would be no 4 day turn-arounds but you wouldn't have 13 days in between games (not including game day).​

2. This would be great for the teams but wouldn't give much time for a chunk of vacation time.​

3. Having a lot of days off help refresh mentally and injuries are served better if the bye week brings a longer time (i.e. Leinart with the Texans this year). A schedule irregularity may throw off timing, body clocks.​

4. But would you surrender a shorter vacation for the higher likelihood of winning? Most, if proven, I assume would say yes.​

5. Fans may like the complexity of shorter weeks like some like bad weather, varying spread of bye weeks makes things interesting by testing adversity. Some fans need time off from fandom (like that's possible.) Harder to skip church :P​

6. It's harder for a lot of us to see Thursday night games.​

7. Obvious network issues and scheduling conflicts with the stadiums.​

8. There just aren't enough worth watching games out there and we already have MNF. Not all teams would get these games so it's not fair (though it already is not fair).​

What are your thoughts? Would you support a change like this?

 

[Giantsmojo]

No to Thursday games except Thanksgiving, but the teams playing on Thanksgiving have a bye the week before.

 

[NinerSickness]

Teams who play on Thursday have a competetive advantage. Their opponents have short weeks too, but the following week the Thursday teams have extra time to prepare.

 

[tomikcon1971]

I'm a proponent of doubleheaders like in baseball....

 

[jakea31]

How about making sure the two teams are in the same time zone so they do not force one team to take a whole day for travel. Plus the jet lag.

 

[Flyingiguana]

I'm a proponent of doubleheaders like in baseball....

except the 2nd part of the doubleheader should be a mud wrestling contest between the teams cheerleaders

 

[tomikcon1971]

except the 2nd part of the doubleheader should be a mud wrestling contest between the teams cheerleaders

Ooh nice...maybe Jello?

 

[sayheykid1]

I am opposed to Thursday Night games that do not fall on Thanksgiving and I am opposed to bye weeks other than first round playoff byes. I am also opposed to the week off before the SB.

 

[MHSL82]

Teams who play on Thursday have a competetive advantage. Their opponents have short weeks too, but the following week the Thursday teams have extra time to prepare.

True, we do have longer before the next opponent, but it still leaves the possibility, like this year, that the next team isn't that good. The disadvantage outweighs the advantage. I'm sure we don't need an extra three days to prepare for St. Louis, whereas with the day of travel to get to Baltimore, it seems that would be more important. Every once in awhile the schedule makers will wrongly guess who's going to be good, but for the most part, Thanksgiving games are hard games. Sometimes it might be followed up by a hard game, sometimes an easy game. If they avoided these short weeks, by either scheduling it like I proposed as an option or did localler matchups, there'd be no problem timewise. I like the former more than the latter, as I'd support the no-three time zone difference matchups but I'm all for the best game we can get, so this to me would allow that to still happen without a big cost by one team.

I thought maybe we'd fly after our game, but if the players were planning on flying out after the game, that would distract them perhaps of the game at hand(I don't know why, just throwing it out there). It seems that could be easily addressed. Could we put the media on hold or is that mandatory? I imagine we couldn't just up and leave.

 

[MHSL82]

except the 2nd part of the doubleheader should be a mud wrestling contest between the teams cheerleaders

Ooh nice...maybe Jello?

Yeah, why mud? I get the dirty part, but isn't it already "dirty"? Jello lets you see the action more plus it's a boon for gelatin manufacturers. Good for the economy and good for entertainment. And the environment! (My humor is odd)

 

[threelittleturds]

I like Thursday Night Football the way it is. It presents teams with unique challenges and adversity. The kinda stuff that helps make your team better by building individual character and team unity.

 

[Slimpikins]

Get rid of Thursday games (except Thanksgiving). I could care less about them. If the Niners aren't playing, I'm not watching it.

I already watch football on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and I have other shit to do during the week.

 

[tzill]

If you give Thanksgiving teams the bye week before, that'd be six teams not playing that weekend. I don't the the NFL would go for it -- too few Sunday games.

 

[MHSL82]

If you give Thanksgiving teams the bye week before, that'd be six teams not playing that weekend. I don't the the NFL would go for it -- too few Sunday games.

Reduce it to two games (4 teams obviously)? I'd say one game but that would seriously increase the likelihood of a surprise like the Colts this year, where at the time of scheduling it'd be a great game, but by the time of play, a flop. TV wise, CBS, NFLN, and Fox have it - get rid of one of the networks. Perhaps CBS and Fox would pay more to prevent NFLN from getting it. Right now they each have it without the competition (NBC I guess could compete since they have SNF, ABC/ESPN because they have MNF - both are already familiar with each other contract wise.)

 

[tzill]

Reduce it to two games (4 teams obviously)? I'd say one game but that would seriously increase the likelihood of a surprise like the Colts this year, where at the time of scheduling it'd be a great game, but by the time of play, a flop. TV wise, CBS, NFLN, and Fox have it - get rid of one of the networks. Perhaps CBS and Fox would pay more to prevent NFLN from getting it. Right now they each have it without the competition (NBC I guess could compete since they have SNF, ABC/ESPN because they have MNF - both are already familiar with each other contract wise.)

I can't see the NFL giving up the money for having three Thanksgiving games.

 

[arsenal6106]

Just read this...
49ers' Jim Harbaugh prefers to be holiday host

 

[MHSL82]

I can't see the NFL giving up the money for having three Thanksgiving games.

I guess I'm underestimating NFLN. Is that actually an NFL-run network who gets its money from advertisers or is it a broadcasting network who has rights to use the NFL trademark and use and pays the NFL for rights to broadcast like CBS, NBC, Fox, and ESPN/ABC does? Either way it makes money, it just seemed to make less because of it being it's own network - though that's a silly thought because they obvious bill the advertisers a sufficient amount to make the maximum.

Man, I wish ESPN covered it or NBC. I don't have a rational reason besides helping me, but they shouldn't make non-Sunday games on NFLN. I feel like if you are going to deviate from the normal day, it should be free. Then if my market doesn't show it, then I need to buy NFLN. Is it on a pay per view system, too? I am going to my parents for Thanksgiving dinner and I don't think I'm going to convince everyone to eat in front of the TV (hook up my laptop to it). If it were on ESPN, CBS, Fox, NBC, or ABC I could DVR it.