The NFL’s competition committee has been talking at length about curtailing the preseason to three games, according to Packers president Mark Murphy.
“I think there would be support for three,” Murphy said. “I think Mike’s [idea], that’s what we’ve talked about. Rather than playing that fourth game on a Thursday … don’t play a fourth game and then you’d have an extra week. We’ve looked at different models, but I think that’s the one that makes the most sense. You’re giving up some revenue, but it’s one of the worst things we do. The move we made on variable [ticket] pricing helps a little bit in how preseason is viewed, but especially that fourth game is kind of a throwaway.”
The idea came from Packers coach Mike McCarthy, whose team will play five preseason games since they’ve been tabbed to play in the Hall of Fame game to start the season.
“That would probably be a little more practical, especially with all the emphasis on player safety,” McCarthy said. “Hell, they’ve cut back everything else. I wouldn’t be surprised if they go to three games. Three games with a two-week bye week, with two weeks before the opener. That’s just my opinion. Nobody’s told me that. I’d be for it. I think it makes a lot of sense. Then you could be a little more aggressive in that third game. Just take the fourth one out.”
While it makes perfect sense from a football perspective, the business side of the NFL is still concerned with squeezing every last penny out of sponsors and fans, and lopping off any game from the schedule is not a way to make money. As Murphy mentioned, the Packers modified their season ticket pricing for the 2016 season, dropping the price of preseason games while increasing the price of regular season games.
The fourth preseason game is completely and utterly worthless, but that would soon become the third preseason game that becomes completely and utterly worthless knowing the way NFL coaches do business. But three glorified scrimmages is better than four.
[ESPN]
