They should shorten NFL games.

[beerme1]

Off season discussion. Obviously.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Why not play "half court" football. Defense plays on one half of the field against the opposing offense and the other defense/offense plays on the other end. The game could be condensed down to two 15 minute halves.

 

I'm not saying get rid of tailgating or Hammer's lot, but it would give us a lot more time to enjoy the pre-game analysis and post game interviews.

 

I understand machine gun's concerns, but when's the last time anything exciting happened at the 8:34 mark of the second period?? It just drags on. Make the game shorter and the excitement will follow.

 

Just DVR it and you can speed thru in two hrs

[BillsCelticsAngelsBama]

I was just watching the Michigan State v Purdue game and it came down to the last 60 seconds. Almost every basketball game comes down to the last few seconds.

 

Same with NFL games. There's always that last drive, the onside kick with 45 seconds left, the quick passes and out patters to stop the clock during the "two minute drill".

 

So why play for 45 minute halves? They should cut it down to three 15 minute periods like hockey. Or even two 20 minute halves. It would make sense as follows:

 

1) We could spend more time with our families and pets

2) Less commercial timeouts would mean less advertisers and, logically, lower ticket prices

3) Less injuries - players would be exposed to less "field time" so they wouldn't be injured as severely

4) More intensity during the last minutes of a shorter period or half

 

Thoughts?

Hell, why watch it at all ?

[BringBackFergy]

Hell, why watch it at all ?

Because some of us like the analysts like Collingsworth and Phil Simms. If we shorten the gameplay but give a little more time to commentary it would make the game more enjoyable.

[BuffaloBill]

Because some of us like the analysts like Collingsworth and Phil Simms. If we shorten the gameplay but give a little more time to commentary it would make the game more enjoyable.

Yes, we can listen to analysts talk more about the Patsies* and their ownership of the AFCE. In fact we could really allow for commentary if at the kickoff of each of the taintreats games the Bills just forfeit. This will allow for the inevitable outcome without wasting time.

[Nanker]

Move the goal posts to the sideline at the 50 yard marks. That way all 53 players can play every down and have lots of room to run around. They should use two footballs too. One per side.

[Webster Guy]

Move the goal posts to the sideline at the 50 yard marks. That way all 53 players can play every down and have lots of room to run around. They should use two footballs too. One per side.

Yes. And the coaches and cheerleaders also play. And if the bills midget trainer scores its double points, because it's harder for the littler people out there.

[BarleyNY]

I was just watching the Michigan State v Purdue game and it came down to the last 60 seconds. Almost every basketball game comes down to the last few seconds.

Same with NFL games. There's always that last drive, the onside kick with 45 seconds left, the quick passes and out patters to stop the clock during the "two minute drill".

So why play for 45 minute halves? They should cut it down to three 15 minute periods like hockey. Or even two 20 minute halves. It would make sense as follows:

1) We could spend more time with our families and pets

2) Less commercial timeouts would mean less advertisers and, logically, lower ticket prices

3) Less injuries - players would be exposed to less "field time" so they wouldn't be injured as severely

4) More intensity during the last minutes of a shorter period or half

Thoughts?

Terrible ideas that'll never happen. Just do what I usually do: DVR it and start watching a 1pm game at 2:30 or so. No hurry to be there in front of the screen at kick off (or even right at 2:30) if you are involved with family, hobby or whatever. If you are called away from the game you don't miss anything either. Spoilers are highly unlikely since you'll be starting the recording at halftime. Even if you do see a spoiler it won't be for the end of the game since you'll probably be catching up just as the game ends due to skipping commercials and other filler. Oh, and that's the other huge bonus - no commercials. God, I hate seeing the same commercials over and over again during a game broadcast. If the kids watch with you, skipping the Cialis commercials is especially nice. It's the way to go. Flexibility, more family time, no crap commercials or hackneyed analysis. It's a great way to go.

Edited to add: Just extend the recording for at least an hour to make sure you don't miss the end!

Edited March 14, 2016 by BarleyNY

[Mr. WEO]

I was just watching the Michigan State v Purdue game and it came down to the last 60 seconds. Almost every basketball game comes down to the last few seconds.

 

Same with NFL games. There's always that last drive, the onside kick with 45 seconds left, the quick passes and out patters to stop the clock during the "two minute drill".

 

So why play for 45 minute halves? They should cut it down to three 15 minute periods like hockey. Or even two 20 minute halves. It would make sense as follows:

 

1) We could spend more time with our families and pets

2) Less commercial timeouts would mean less advertisers and, logically, lower ticket prices

3) Less injuries - players would be exposed to less "field time" so they wouldn't be injured as severely

4) More intensity during the last minutes of a shorter period or half

 

Thoughts?

 

 

My first thought is that they don't play "45 minute halves".

 

The rest I didn't think about.

[ricojes]

 

1) We could spend more time with our families and pets

 

Thoughts?

This is one of the big reasons I have season tickets...

[4merper4mer]

I can see both side of this but I like the baseball concept.

 

I don't think they should go all the way with it right away though.

 

For this year:

 

1st half as normal.

 

2nd half consists of three innings. No clock. The visitors get the ball first. If there is a turnover on downs, interception, fumble recovery by the defense, blocked kick or recovered onside kick the half inning is over. If the offense scores, they get the ball again until they are stopped. Home team is on offense last just like in baseball. Because of post season tie breakers, the home team will get their final at bat even if ahead. If they are up 8 or less they will probably kneel as interception/fumble returns count as points. If they are up 9 or more they can run up the score to help tiebreaker scenarios.

 

I predict this will probably not happen due to Vegas lines being so much a part of football and this could screw things up for gambling.

[BringBackFergy]

Terrible ideas that'll never happen. Just do what I usually do: DVR it and start watching a 1pm game at 2:30 or so. No hurry to be there in front of the screen at kick off (or even right at 2:30) if you are involved with family, hobby or whatever. If you are called away from the game you don't miss anything either. Spoilers are highly unlikely since you'll be starting the recording at halftime. Even if you do see a spoiler it won't be for the end of the game since you'll probably be catching up just as the game ends due to skipping commercials and other filler. Oh, and that's the other huge bonus - no commercials. God, I hate seeing the same commercials over and over again during a game broadcast. If the kids watch with you, skipping the Cialis commercials is especially nice. It's the way to go. Flexibility, more family time, no crap commercials or hackneyed analysis. It's a great way to go.

Edited to add: Just extend the recording for at least an hour to make sure you don't miss the end!

So you're saying that safeguarding the physical and mental (CTE) safety of our NFL players is a terrible idea?

 

Player A (we'll call him CJ), with 24 minutes left in the game, gets runs up the middle into a wall of large men twenty times in a row. Is that exciting? His head is banged around, his offensive lineman are stepped on and the defense is bored out of their minds.

 

Player B (we'll call him Sammy) lines up far wide, there's only 3 minutes left in the 10 minute second half and they are down by 6 pts. Sammy is not as injured or bored as CJ. Sammy knows that they only have 3 minutes left in the last 10 minute half. Sammy will not take the play off because there is an urgency to score.

 

See the difference? Get rid of the nonsensical runs into the backs of Olinemen, shorten the game and create a sense of urgency. Add more commercials and analysis to "lengthen the game" with video replays and flashbacks to the 90's, but live football should be no more than two 15 minute halves for the safety of the players and the attention span of the casual observer.

[mead107]

So the guy that just purchased 2 season tickets wants wants to spend more time with his family. Why did you buy only 2 season tickets? You should have made it a family affair. Dummy

[BringBackFergy]

I can see both side of this but I like the baseball concept.

 

I don't think they should go all the way with it right away though.

 

For this year:

 

1st half as normal.

 

2nd half consists of three innings. No clock. The visitors get the ball first. If there is a turnover on downs, interception, fumble recovery by the defense, blocked kick or recovered onside kick the half inning is over. If the offense scores, they get the ball again until they are stopped. Home team is on offense last just like in baseball. Because of post season tie breakers, the home team will get their final at bat even if ahead. If they are up 8 or less they will probably kneel as interception/fumble returns count as points. If they are up 9 or more they can run up the score to help tiebreaker scenarios.

 

I predict this will probably not happen due to Vegas lines being so much a part of football and this could screw things up for gambling.

OK, I understand your point. Yes, this will cut down on injuries and will create more urgency, but why not use the timing system as they do in World Cup soccer. The referee holds the time and no one really knows how much time is left...the ref can basically give a little extra time to the team with the ball if he feels there were to many delays, etc.

 

The innings ideas would work if we set a max time per inning (like maybe 3 minutes per). Once again, 3 minutes per inning, two innings per period, 15 minute break between periods, and automatic 2 minute break between plays would still give all the naysayers their 5 hours of football fun, would keep the players safe and still create excitement in the game.

 

 

My first thought is that they don't play "45 minute halves".

 

The rest I didn't think about.

I don't think I ever said that.

[KD in CA]

Even less football to cover the same amount of ad space.....that's a winner right there!

[BarleyNY]

So you're saying that safeguarding the physical and mental (CTE) safety of our NFL players is a terrible idea?

 

Player A (we'll call him CJ), with 24 minutes left in the game, gets runs up the middle into a wall of large men twenty times in a row. Is that exciting? His head is banged around, his offensive lineman are stepped on and the defense is bored out of their minds.

 

Player B (we'll call him Sammy) lines up far wide, there's only 3 minutes left in the 10 minute second half and they are down by 6 pts. Sammy is not as injured or bored as CJ. Sammy knows that they only have 3 minutes left in the last 10 minute half. Sammy will not take the play off because there is an urgency to score.

 

See the difference? Get rid of the nonsensical runs into the backs of Olinemen, shorten the game and create a sense of urgency. Add more commercials and analysis to "lengthen the game" with video replays and flashbacks to the 90's, but live football should be no more than two 15 minute halves for the safety of the players and the attention span of the casual observer.

Maybe we could all just watch people play Madden and then we'd just have to worry about the occasional player with carpel tunnel or "gamer's thumb". Seriously, if you have an issue with the physical toll the game takes on players and don't think enough is being done for their safety or that the physical toll they take is not worth what they make in money and benefits, then don't watch the games and don't support the advertisers.

[Utah John]

We already have less football. About 10 or 15 years ago, the NFL changed the timing rules to make commercial breaks 90 seconds long rather than 60 as they had been. Yet the 60 minutes of official time still fits into 3 hours of clock time. I have a life so I've never done the math, but this must mean there are fewer plays being executed during the course of a game.

 

I have a lot of VHS tapes of old Bills games from the 80s and 90s, and they're fun to watch for a lot of reasons. To the point of this train, commercials were over with quickly, so you didn't lose track of the game. Also bathroom breaks were quicker so you didn't miss anything, unless you had your VHS going. Beyond that, it was so nice to have the Bills be dominant. For another, the game was so much different. Schemes that coaches have developed to take parts of the field away from the other side, weren't invented yet, and the game was much more wide open. The skills of the current players, and their size, strength, and speed, are all better than before, and the game is also more precisely controlled. But I miss the old schoolyard style, lining up and taking shots.

[Jauronimo]

OK, I understand your point. Yes, this will cut down on injuries and will create more urgency, but why not use the timing system as they do in World Cup soccer. The referee holds the time and no one really knows how much time is left...the ref can basically give a little extra time to the team with the ball if he feels there were to many delays, etc.

 

The innings ideas would work if we set a max time per inning (like maybe 3 minutes per). Once again, 3 minutes per inning, two innings per period, 15 minute break between periods, and automatic 2 minute break between plays would still give all the naysayers their 5 hours of football fun, would keep the players safe and still create excitement in the game.

I don't think I ever said that.

Innings are stupid. The cricket model is best. One team plays offense for three days and then the other team plays offense for three days and the highest score at the end of a fortnight wins the match. Now the classic format may be ill suited to American football but if it were condensed into four 15 minute periods then it just might work.

[Formerly Allan in MD]

I was just watching the Michigan State v Purdue game and it came down to the last 60 seconds. Almost every basketball game comes down to the last few seconds.

 

Same with NFL games. There's always that last drive, the onside kick with 45 seconds left, the quick passes and out patters to stop the clock during the "two minute drill".

 

So why play for 45 minute halves? They should cut it down to three 15 minute periods like hockey. Or even two 20 minute halves. It would make sense as follows:

 

1) We could spend more time with our families and pets

2) Less commercial timeouts would mean less advertisers and, logically, lower ticket prices

3) Less injuries - players would be exposed to less "field time" so they wouldn't be injured as severely

4) More intensity during the last minutes of a shorter period or half

 

Thoughts?

Almost every basketball and NFL game comes down to the last 60 seconds? I must have missed something.

[QuoteTheRaven83]

This just sounds like the worst idea ever...

Teams play a game once a week. Unlike basketball where they play almost every day. This makes no sense. U can't compare the 2.

Edited March 14, 2016 by QuoteTheRaven83