Labor Day Weekend: Should be opening day for NFL

[mannc]

15 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

There is one HUGE reason, and one reason only.

 

Networks said you want our money, you WILL NOT have games on Labor Day weekend. .... Ratings tank, ad $$$ goes way down  and effects their numbers for the whole season on what they can charge advertisers.

 

As it always has been and always will be ...no matter the subject

 

Follow the money.

 

 

Funny, college football games played on Labor Day Weekend generate very respectable ratings…the ratings for Notre Dame-Texas A&M were the highest for any Saturday night game on ABC in the last two years, and Clemson-Georgia had even higher ratings.  I think the idea of bad football ratings on Labor Day weekend is a myth. Fans are ready for football.

Edited September 2 by mannc

[plenzmd1]

8 minutes ago, mannc said:

Funny, college football games played on Labor Day Weekend generate very respectable ratings…I think the idea of bad ratings on Labor Day weekend is a myth.  

Was not a myth at all when it was instituted 20+ years ago, but with new technology and watch anywhere, prolly  not near as big an impact now as way back then.

 

Having said that, I don't think they will be going back to opening day unless somehow it gets woven into an 18-game schedule with 2 byes.

 

I loved opening day openers before married and kids, loved non Labor Day openers when kids were growing up so no conflicts with the beach and in-laws.

 

Would welcome them again now that kiddies are off and on their own!

 

It was especially great for away game trips...we saw Ryan Leafs debut game vs the Bills in San Diego on Labor Day weekend and could travel back on the Monday and not have to take a vacation day.

 

A

 

 

[Steptide]

Personally, I don't care. Labor day weekend or the week after, whatever. I actually found out yesterday there's a game this Friday 😅. Must've not paid enough attention, but that's kinda cool, if you have peacock anyway 

[plenzmd1]

4 minutes ago, Steptide said:

Personally, I don't care. Labor day weekend or the week after, whatever. I actually found out yesterday there's a game this Friday 😅. Must've not paid enough attention, but that's kinda cool, if you have peacock anyway 

4 of 5  game days!

[Mat68]

20 hours ago, KingBoots8 said:

I think if/when we go to an 18 game schedule we will be adding to the start of the league year, not the end. It seems to make sense to kick off on a 3 day weekend but with many people getting in their last vacation of the year they may be concerned viewership would be lower as a result

Pretty sure the plan is an extra bye.  Labor day opening weekend.  Super bowl Presidents weekend. 

[chris heff]

13 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

And the funny part is that when I turned on ABC to watch it, DirecTV has a blank screen saying they are in a fight with Disney over fees!  So....no ABC, ESPN etc for DirecTV subscribers. 

Why do you still have DirecTV? I only had it for Sunday Ticket. A year ago I switched tho YouTube TV, way better. I use a Firestick to stream what ever I want (you can use Roku). 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

1 hour ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

 

Much more than any of the games featuring Power 5 conference schools facing non power 5 schools. 

 

Were there not more of those match ups this past weekend than the ones you sighted? And just a quick glance of the scoreboards, those games ended with an average score of about 60 -3. 

 

 

There were. But just like I would rather clean gutters than watch Panthers vs Falcons, I choose not to watch Ohio State vs Akron.  To each their own. My only point is the NFL probably has 2-3 games a week that have some national interest. College probably has 10. 

 

Also, College Gameday was better than any NFL pre-game show until Pat McAfee showed up and ruined it.

[GunnerBill]

If they want to go to 18 games it HAS to come forward a week. There is just so little room after the Superbowl now. It was 18 days between the Superbowl and the Combine. It is basically 4 and a half weeks from Superbowl to free agency. That is insane. 

 

I know people think personnel planning can be done as quickly in reality as on Madden but it can't. If you are a team who has gone deep into the playoffs... certainly the conference championships or the Superbowl to fit in:

 

1. Review your coaching staff and fire anyone you don't want;

2. Interview and hire replacement coaches;

3. Self scout your entire roster position group by position group;

4. Decide who you are interested in bringing back and work out what you'd be willing to offer;

5. Engage with agents of those you want to keep;

6. Set your pro personnel FA targets based on the needs you have identified on your roster

7. At the same time as setting your early draft board, working out who you want to speak to at the Senior Bowl (which happens before the Superbowl) and the Combine etc

 

You basically need to have done all that by mid march as part of your planning for the next season. Yes the draft process then continues until late April but you have to have an idea of the strength of the class at different positions, an idea the sort of areas the class is likely to be strongest at least where you are drafting on day 1 because that factors into your overall roster building strategy. 

 

There is no more room to push it later unless they push everything later and the NFLPA is unlikely to want much encroachment into the 5 weeks of dead space between mandatory minicamp at the start of June and training camp in mid July. Maybe the NFL will "give up" mandatory minicamp in order to get their 18th game and move everything back a week but I'd be surprised if the teams didn't push to keep it. 

[machine gun kelly]

21 hours ago, mannc said:

There is absolutely no good reason we aren’t watching opening day games today. Until 20 years ago, this was opening day in the NFL.  Pushing the regular season (and playoffs) deeper into winter is bad for fans and players. Will we see NFL games on Labor Day Weekend again?

Honestly, I don’t care as youre statement makes sense, but the NFL has a long standing agreement that college gets to start Labor Day, and the NFL starts the next week.  Down here in Tampa and the SE, the SEC is god, and don’t care about the NFL.

 

Its all how were raised.  I know in Buffalo it’s NFL all day long.  30 years of FL, and I understand it’s a religion down here on college ball.

[mannc]

3 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

Honestly, I don’t care as youre statement makes sense, but the NFL has a long standing agreement that college gets to start Labor Day, and the NFL starts the next week.  Down here in Tampa and the SE, the SEC is god, and don’t care about the NFL.

 

Its all how were raised.  I know in Buffalo it’s NFL all day long.  30 years of FL, and I understand it’s a religion down here on college ball.

That makes no sense.  There is no such agreement.  There was only one college game yesterday.  Sunday was wide open for the NFL.

Edited September 2 by mannc

[frostbitmic]

18 games will have a 2nd bye week. They'll open the season Labor Day weekend and the 2nd bye will push the regular season deeper into January, giving them the timing for the Super Bowl (on pay per view) to be played Presidents day weekend.

[TheFunPolice]

I like football in late January and all the way to mid to late February better.

 

Nothing else going on 

[Chandler#81]

It will when an 18th regular season game is added and 2 playoff byes return.

[JakeFrommStateFarm]

Didn't miss the NFL at all.

 

There were a ton of good college games !

[Saxum]

7 hours ago, Whkfc said:

So few people get that off anymore. I know I don't unless you work for a bank or the government President's day is irrelevant. 

 

Or some school systems although some have taken it way for religious holidays.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

Meh … I can wait a week. I’d much rather squeeze in another long summer weekend as long as the weather cooperates. 

[Saxum]

6 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

Honestly, I don’t care as youre statement makes sense, but the NFL has a long standing agreement that college gets to start Labor Day, and the NFL starts the next week.  Down here in Tampa and the SE, the SEC is god, and don’t care about the NFL.

 

Its all how were raised.  I know in Buffalo it’s NFL all day long.  30 years of FL, and I understand it’s a religion down here on college ball.

 

Well weather is too hot in DEC areas so don't have any opening games in that area except for teams with domes (i.e. Saints, Falcons).  It is easy for broken algorithm powered by AWS to block out stadiums that week before schedules are crunched.

[Trev]

Yeah. Let’s pollute more holidays with sports…great idea. 

[mannc]

7 minutes ago, Trev said:

Yeah. Let’s pollute more holidays with sports…great idea. 

I think you found your way to the wrong website.

[peterpan]

I wouldn’t watch a game on Labor Day weekend.  But yes there’s nothing going on in January and February.  
 

but with the nfl season going so late into February, northern teams need a dome.    Even hockey is played indoors in Jan and Feb!!!