Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy tore into the NFL’s preseason last Friday, and while he was denouncing its unnecessary length, he also floated the idea of extending the regular season as a solution.
It is safe to say shortening the preseason has some momentum behind it, but opinions are split on what to do to make up for the lost revenue for the game(s). As it stands now, NFL owners charge season ticket holders just as much for a preseason game as they do for a regular season game. The preseason may be a joke, but it is still a profitable one for NFL owners.
Murphy’s solution then, was to knock one game off the preseason and tack it on to the end of the regular season. He also saw this as an opportunity to expand the NFL’s reach internationally. With a 17th game now on the schedule, teams could play more international games without teams giving up their normally scheduled home games and owners giving up revenues from those games.
That idea sounds all well and good, but it is still asking a lot from the player’s perspective. NFLPA assistant executive director of external affairs George Atallah recognized this added cost at the player’s expense and was not shy about sharing his feelings about the proposal on Twitter.
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 😂😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/cbkZYQOeyR
— George Atallah (@GeorgeAtallah) June 29, 2016
Woooo. I needed a good laugh.
— George Atallah (@GeorgeAtallah) June 29, 2016
Nothing says "committed to player health and safety" like wanting to add more contact to the offseason and a 17th regular season game abroad
— George Atallah (@GeorgeAtallah) June 30, 2016
If Atallah’s reaction is any indication, the NFLPA is in stark opposition to this measure, which essentially means this is not happening. Changes to the schedule would have be made as a part of the next collective bargaining agreement, and unless the owners make a huge concession somewhere else, it seems like the players have spoken pretty clearly on this issue.
