Labor Day Weekend: Should be opening day for NFL

[Mr. WEO]

Who has time to complain about this?

Go enjoy your families on the last holiday of the summer…

[jkeerie]

Labor Day weekend is typically the start of NCAAF.  There's even a game on tonight...Boston College vs Florida State.  The CFL also has Labor Day games.  So I would not start NFL games on Labor Day weekend.  

[Augie]

On 9/1/2024 at 1:57 PM, boco357 said:

I can find a thousand things to do Labor Day weekend and when they extend the season hope it's later into February.

 

I found it annoying that I couldn’t go ice fishing, snowmobiling or curling on the pond this weekend. 

[BigDingus]

17 hours ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

 

Tremendous?

 

Way too many 49 - 7 games in College football. They need to totally revamp the scheduling. Power 5 schools or whatever they are called these days should only ever be playing other power 5 schools. 

 

It's always had that, NIL hasn't changed anything there.

 

But current college football doesn't have nearly as many of those games after Power 5 Conferences (now "Power Four") grew in size so much. They all used to load up their early schedule with these games, but now teams have to play more in-conference games.

 

Also, college football will naturally have more lopsided games, as it's impossible to have nearly 70 teams with parity, and over 130 division 1 schools.

 

But the overall product has gotten better with the expanded playoff system (now expanding to 12 teams), and athletes being able to more easily transfer for an opportunity to play. Quality players have spread out more than before, and it's not so consolidated to just a handful of legacy schools getting everyone.

[North Buffalo]

17 hours ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

 

Player safety angle. 

 

league is trying to project the image of making the game safer. I think adding a second bye week helps project that image. It's also a small cash cow as it means one more week of primetime games for the league to sell. Makes sense from all angles. 

yup and players are demanding it to let their bodies heal a bit.

[Trev]

3 hours ago, mannc said:

I think you found your way to the wrong website.

Why? There are just a few times a year where families can sit together with no distractions (phones, tv, sports) and celebrate the holiday.  There is no need to bring in legacy/ corporate sports to tarnish a nice day. Holidays are for family bonding, not unhealthy/ addictive consuming. 

[Saxum]

2 hours ago, Augie said:

 

I found it annoying that I couldn’t go ice fishing, snowmobiling or curling on the pond this weekend. 

 

Move to Iqaluit, Nanavut.

[mannc]

1 hour ago, Trev said:

Why? There are just a few times a year where families can sit together with no distractions (phones, tv, sports) and celebrate the holiday.  There is no need to bring in legacy/ corporate sports to tarnish a nice day. Holidays are for family bonding, not unhealthy/ addictive consuming. 

Watching football is hardly inconsistent with enjoying a family holiday.  Feel free to tune out if you want.

[sullim4]

There are a couple angles here.

 

I am fine with the NFL taking Labor Day weekend off.  I have to think it's a ratings move more than anything else.  That said, I'd prefer they give each team 2 bye weeks as they did in the early 1990s and start one week earlier.  Injuries are such a factor during the season that getting an extra bye week raises the quality of the product while also adding an additional week of games from a revenue standpoint.

 

The NFL giving CFB this weekend as an exclusive feels a lot like how the NBA had Christmas as their turf.  Then Christmas fell on a weekend and the NFL realized how much money they could make off it... now you see NFL games on Christmas day if it's a Wednesday.

 

Personally, I've been sort of done with college football for the last ten years or so.  College football games approach four hours regularly given the sheer number of commercials and longer halftimes.  My dad rooted for Penn State growing up, and seeing the Paterno scandal play out really soured me on the sport.  It seems like there are constant violations for recruiting by top programs.  Conference consolidation is a travesty and it's all because these universities want as much money as possible from ESPN and FOX.  On the whole I tend to think of CFB as being more corrupt than the pros.

Edited September 3 by sullim4

[machine gun kelly]

17 hours ago, mannc said:

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

There’s a long tradition that colleges kick off on Labor Day weekend.  You’re just stating the Sunday of Labor Day, but down in the South people travel long distances and camp out for this weekend.  I didn’t understand it until I moved to Tampa as people care more about their D1 programs than the NFL.  It’s the same in the Midwest.

 

Again, I’d have no problem with Labor Day Sunday, but it’s not going to happen.  It’s the same as the NFL typically doesn’t play on Fridays because it’s Friday night Lights for HS football.  I know the NFL has occasional NFL games on Friday, but that’s after the HS season ends.  It’s the same for Saturday the NFL waits until the college season ends in December.

[BigDingus]

Well, looks like the you might get your wish!

 

 

[mannc]

1 hour ago, BigDingus said:

Well, looks like the you might get your wish!

 

 

So, contrary to popular belief, there is no agreement (tacit or otherwise) between the NFL and the NCAA (or high school football) to leave Labor Day weekend alone. And of course the “ratings” argument was a myth, as well.

Edited September 3 by mannc

[Trev]

23 hours ago, mannc said:

Watching football is hardly inconsistent with enjoying a family holiday.  Feel free to tune out if you want.

I have tuned out and I suggest you do also.   

[nedboy7]

Go to a 48 week season. 4 weeks for playoffs including short week Thursday night playoff games.  Imagine the carnage and money.  And your liver. 

[Saxum]

19 hours ago, BigDingus said:

Well, looks like the you might get your wish!

 

 

 

By using Mahones in picture they are trying drive away fans.