Back to 14 games?! Niners and an 18 game season

Because there have been polls on who's favorable and not for a 18 game season, let's do a poll the opposite way (to help prove my point).

Would you go back to a 14 game season?

I REALLY REALLY don't understand what's the problem with having an 18 game season.. seriously, i'd expect the fans to absolutly want this!!

On espn there is a poll saying less than 25% of fans want 18 games!?!?!?

The main reason being injuries and stats. (i'm guessing the REAL reason is that the stat freaks would go crazy with a new schedual) ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!??!?!!

People, this is FOOTBALL, sh!t happens! I mean, what should we do then, cut the season to 6 games?! so no one gets hurt.. even with 6 games people would STILL get hurt. 18 games means teams organize and rest their players like any other sport. So fans would say "well i don't want to pay to see back-ups" WTF?! we already see backups.. In fact with 18 games you'd probably see more starters cause they'd have to fight longer to make it to the playoffs..

I mean, maybe the real question to find the answer would be "Who's in favor of going back to a 14 game season?" less injuries and familiar stats right?

Personally i can't get enough of football. Having a longer season means teams have to fight longer to get in playoffs. Teams that start off rough can make a push (chargers, titans a year ago..us this year?!)..it would make the league more competitive. Our season ended after 5 games..we wait 1 year, and after 5 games it's done! yes we sucked, but we ARE a playoff worthy team. It's crazy..

The other question is how do you think an 18 game season would affect our niners. How would our team react to it? Do we have the depth? Would've we made it to the playoffs this year if it would've been 18 games?

Every year the season passes soooooo fast..and the wait is sooooo long. We go through more offseason than regular season..that says a lot.

I bet that if the league does go to 18 games, after two years people would NEVER want to go back to 16.

[ Edited by tondiman on Feb 13, 2011 at 01:34:37 ]

Im not sure if 18 games is really the way to go. Weather its the first few weeks or the last few there will be bad football. First game or two will look sloppy, and the last couple of games good teams will rest players. Not completely different than what we've seen but it will be more frequent. Another issue would be the scheduling of the games. The formula would need to be revamped. I would love more football. But who with all the issues that come with it, I want quality over quantity.

I'd stick with 16 games over both 14 and 18

my problem against 18 games is that teams that have already won 10+ games are going to 99% of the time be in playoffs and stop playing hard like teams always do at the end of the year. to me that lowers the quality of football and really pisses me off. I dont want 2 more weeks of that

I am all for only 2 preseason games tho

I'd like to see 18 games. Really it would be the same number of games as we have now, which is 20. But instead of 16 regular season and 4 preseason, you would have 18 regular season and 2 preseason. I don't really get the players argument whining about having to play more games. It's the same number of games. Maybe the starters would have to play more but the reserves wouldn't. It all balances out in the end.

a lot of people talk about injuries.. yes 2 more games gives two more chances to get injured, but it also gives two more games for already injured players to get healthy and not miss the playoffs..

Originally posted by tondiman:
a lot of people talk about injuries.. yes 2 more games gives two more chances to get injured, but it also gives two more games for already injured players to get healthy and not miss the playoffs..

Really it's not two more games though. It's the same number of games.

Im on board for making two of the meaningless games regular season contests.

I like it the way it is

I'm in for 18. I'd eliminate preseason (2) altogether. I'd have two scrimmages with other team during training camp so coaches could look at rookies.

16 games just works.
Why argue about 18 games when the players and owners have much more to debate over. Why add another problem?

I certainly would enjoy an 18 game season as a fan. forget about injuries and scheduling. I think the integrity of stats and records being compromised is a HUGE issue. Example many of Rices records look insurmountable in a 16 game season...go to 18 and season records will start dropping like crazy, and some of the HISTORY gets thrown under the bus. So, I support an 18 game season, but only with asterisks!!(and yes they do often asterisk records from a 14 game season (see Simpson, OJ....and ummm, skip past the murder part....)

Originally posted by 49erFaithful6:

Originally posted by tondiman:
a lot of people talk about injuries.. yes 2 more games gives two more chances to get injured, but it also gives two more games for already injured players to get healthy and not miss the playoffs..

Really it's not two more games though. It's the same number of games.

he does have a valid point about injured players getting two more weeks to get healthy, and it is two more games, there is no way u can actually call a preseason game a game lol, honestly how often do u see starters playing in preseason games. Starting players rarely get hurt in the preseason because they barely play in the preseason.

I really dont want to see an 18 game season the chance of injuries increase. Players that hold records would certainly be poed about this because it gives other players a chance to break these records, not that it really matters to me but it would kind of erk me to see someone break one of jerrys records in the 17th or 18th game of the season...

Wouldn't mind any option as long as it's negotiated fairly. A longer season might mean more injuries and more surprises in the playoffs, with young, healthy teams having a bigger edge. If they reduce preseason and add those games to the schedule, fewer young players whould get a chance to show their ability in meaningless games.

We can't anticipate all the possible unintended consequences but that does not mean it's a bad idea. I personally don't like the bye weeks because they always seem to favor a team needing a break (late week) toward the end of the season to get players back, etc.

Originally posted by Rubberneck36:
I like it the way it is