The Move to an 18-game Schedule

If you listen to Bill Polian, GM of the Indianapolis Colts, moving to an 18-game regular season is a foregone conclusion.   I know at first glance NFL fans might be excited by the notion of adding two more games to the slate and removing half of the preseason is definitely not going to ruffle any feathers.  Temper your enthusiasm.  

As a long-time fan of the NFL, the history of the game is important to me.   Do me a favour.  On Monday night, count the amount of references to NFL records there are during the MNF broadcast (with Favre playing there should be plenty). 

With an 18-game schedule we will essentially be starting from scratch as far as records go.  Names like Jerry Rice, Brett Favre, Eric Dickerson and Michael Strahan will slowly begin to slip from their #1 spots.  The MLB has recently drawn criticism from fans who deem the 162-game season as too long.  While I tend to agree with that notion, the MLB refuses to change because they value the history of the game (records).  It doesn’t seem as though the NFL shares the same conviction.

Ok, so you don’t care about the history of the game.  You are ecstatic about adding two more games to the season because it’s two more Sundays of hanging with the boys, fantasy football and the more NFL, the better.  Well, I hate to tell you, but these two games will only make things worse.  Every team plays the other teams in their division twice.  Two added games is not enough for added divisional games and therefore the games will be against either conference or non-conference opponents.  Not only does that mean a less than marquee matchup, it decreases the effect divisional games have on a team’s final standing (6 of 16 37.5%, 6 of 18 33.3%).  As a result, the division rivalries won’t mean as much.  

Still not convinced?  Ask yourself how entertained you’ve been by watching the Colts the last few years in their final two weeks play with Jim Sorgi or Curtis Painter at quarterback.  With an 18-game season, do undefeated and one-loss teams shut it down in after fifteen games?  That would mean more meaningless games with starters on the sidelines and guys like Peyton Manning might end up with 5 weeks off.  

Despite all of this, the league looks like they will make the move in the near future.  Just don't let the owners fool you that it's better for the fans.  It's all about the Benjamins.