NFL owners to vote to start flexing 'Thursday Night Football' games for 2023, per report

[ROD-BOT]

NFL owners to vote to start flexing 'Thursday Night Football' games for 2023, per report

The goal would be to avoid meaningless prime time games

www.cbssports.com

NFL owners to vote to start flexing 'Thursday Night Football' games for 2023, per report​

"Thursday Night Football" may have more compelling games on its schedule next season. NFL owners will be asked during next week's league meetings to approve a flex plan for Thursday night games that go into effect for the 2023 season, according to the Sports Business Journal.

The main purpose of passing the flex plan would be to eliminate Thursday night games between losing teams. If the plan passes, the NFL would be permitted to shift Sunday afternoon games to Thursday night from weeks 14-17 with 15 days notice. The league would also be permitted to schedule teams for Thursday night games after a previous Sunday game on two occasions. Currently, a team can only play one game on Thursday night after playing a Sunday night game.

While there is optimism that the proposal will pass, there are reasons to believe that it could be voted down by the owners. NFL coaches, for one, are not fans of schedule changes, especially during the season. Safety also becomes a concern as teams could be asked to play more games on short weeks.

Amazon's first season with "Thursday Night Football" drew an average viewership of 9.6 million, according to Neilsen. While that is a solid number, it was a 46 percent decline from the previous season when Thursday night games were broadcast on Fox and NFL Network. Games that did not have significant playoff implications may have contributed to the decline in viewership.

There's also the issue of fans who purchase tickets well in advance of their game. The possibility of more games being flexed may cause more hesitation from fans who are considering purchasing tickets ahead of the game they plan on attending.

For a proposal to pass, it must receive 75 percent of the vote, meaning that 24 of the NFL's 32 owners must vote in favor of the proposal. Given the NFL's commitment to generating revenue, the safe bet is that the owners will pass the proposal, even if it goes against the wishes of coaches, players and fans.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Interesting

 

[Neil039]

Bad idea. We want competition but those Thursday Night Games are often the only Prime Time slot for the lower half of the league.

 

[Loyal]

Bad idea. We want competition but those Thursday Night Games are often the only Prime Time slot for the lower half of the league.

It's a horrible idea as far as the quality of games and player safety. So you punish good teams with more short weeks because they are winners?

 

[CGI_Ram]

I am not a fan of flex games, from a team performance perspective. It would throw off work/rest schedules. Etc.

I like the idea of better games on Thursday, but I dislike this idea pretty significantly.

Thursdays are too hard to prepare for, let alone have one sprung on you.

 

[Angry Ram]

I am not a fan of flex games, from a team performance perspective. It would throw off work/rest schedules. Etc.

I like the idea of better games on Thursday, but I dislike this idea pretty significantly.

Thursdays are too hard to prepare for, let alone have one sprung on you.

It said 15 day notice tho...

 

[Flatlyner]

Personally, I hate that the games are on prime. Unless it is the Rams playing, I'd always record the games and start them a hour late so all I watched was football and skipped the commercials and half time. Now I have to be sitting there when it starts like I'm 10 again. The flexing idea is also pretty terrible. Set the schedule and keep it.

 

[Merlin]

Shitty for both coaches and players. NFL owners should tell the networks to get fucked but they're busy wiping their ass with benjamins.

 

[Loyal]

Shitty for both coaches and players. NFL owners should tell the networks to get fucked but they're busy wiping their ass with benjamins.

Stan glances toward Missouri and says, "Don't make me come back there..."

 

[Merlin]

Stan could just pay a lawyer to sue me to death. That is far worse than an ass kicking.

 

[CGI_Ram]

It said 15 day notice tho...

I did miss that.

Thank you!

 

[RamFanWA]

so for a fan, who bought tickets for a specific game, reserved a hotel room and purchased airfare - and then you just gonna move the game to a different day? Kinda blows, right there.

 

[dieterbrock]

This reeks of Amazon forcing the change, which would be a sad state of affairs

 

[Flatlyner]

so for a fan, who bought tickets for a specific game, reserved a hotel room and purchased airfare - and then you just gonna move the game to a different day? Kinda blows, right there.

This exactly. I hadn't considered if I was intending to attend the game and had to pay a fee (and whatever the different in flight days might be) and hope to be able to change my hotel for those days. Sounds utterly awful.

 

[thirteen28]

I don't much like TNF to begin with, and like this even less.

I think they should instead make it so the TNF teams, good or bad, have a bye week before their Thursday game. Would be much better for player health.

 

[jap]

I would rather they cancel Thursday night games altogether.

 

[dieterbrock]

I don't much like TNF to begin with, and like this even less.

I think they should instead make it so the TNF teams, good or bad, have a bye week before their Thursday game. Would be much better for player health.

Well, player safety is pretty much a joke. Seems to me the only player the league wants to protect is the QB, and his stats.

 

[ottoman89]

Well, player safety is pretty much a joke. Seems to me the only player the league wants to protect is the QB, and his stats.

You mean very select QBs and his stats.

 

[Mackeyser]

so for a fan, who bought tickets for a specific game, reserved a hotel room and purchased airfare - and then you just gonna move the game to a different day? Kinda blows, right there.

True, but anyone traveling SHOULD be buying travel insurance that would allow for reschedule or cancellation in the event of a schedule change. It’s usually about $15/airline ticket… which is nothing for a flight compared to eating the entire cost. Also, when traveling to an NFL game, ever book a no cancellation room… cuz strange things can happen with weather or 1000 other things…

Smart travel practices can obviate much of the worries

 

[OldSchool]

On the Rams proposal to make roughing the passer penalties reviewable.


View: https://twitter.com/JourdanRodrigue/status/1640197554385342465


40% increased chance to score a TD if you get a RTP call gives it a greater chance of a drive resulting in a TD than an "explosive" play.