NFL too overextended
If you are like me and feel the baseball season of the summer is something to be endured instead of embraced, preseason football used to be a welcomed site.
When I was in school, (going back further than I care to admit) I watched every preseason football game I could find. I did not care if the game did not count or if the players were fourth string. It was good to have football back.
Now, the National Football League has bitten off more than it can chew. Over the last two years, the NFL added two teams to the playoffs and a week to the regular season. Sounded innocent enough at the time.
Today, I dislike the changes. Last year’s season was too long. The Super Bowl was played in mid-February. The NFL season and playoffs nearly encompassed the college basketball regular season.
It became apparent the added week of the regular season and expanded playoff was not about improving the product. Instead, it was more about making the NFL a sport people talk about 365 days a year. Of course, making more money was something that played a factor too.
The strength of the NFL was that it was just 16 games. Every game mattered. Adding just one week and another wild card diluted the value of each week.
The media needs the NFL for ratings and that includes March through July. Instead of bashing the league for how it handles players like Deshaun Watson and watered down its product, it’s business as usual.
I will still consume too much NFL over the next few months, but I am losing interest. I might run over to Shakamak State Park on a Sunday afternoon over watching the kickoff of the early games.
The NFL has overextended itself and I bet I am not the only one losing some interest as a result.
Nathan Pace is the Sports Editor of the Greene County Daily World and can be reached at npace@gcdailyworld.com. His Low Budget Sports Show can be seen on Facebook Live.
Posting a comment requires free registration:
- If you already have an account, follow this link to login
- Otherwise, follow this link to register