[Bad idea] NFL considers a 2nd Monday Night game? link Added game would give ABC flexibility Associated Press NEW YORK -- NFL owners may be asked to consider the possibility of two Monday night games each week to avoid the recurring problem of meaningless late-season games in the league's showcase telecast. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue floated the idea in the second of a two-part interview aired Thursday night on HBO's "Inside the NFL." "We'd like to look to see if we could put more than one game in the prime-time window," he said. "The one that is more attractive would be telecast nationally; the other could be telecast regionally." The Monday night schedule is released in early spring. Teams with winning records the previous year normally play in the majority of the prime-time games. But salary-cap induced parity has led to drastic annual fluctuations. If this season ended now, nine of last season's 12 playoff teams would miss the postseason, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders, who played in the Super Bowl. So, ABC has been asking the league for the flexibility to switch a Sunday game to Monday late in a season to avoid a meaningless matchup. Fox and CBS, which have the contracts for Sunday games, have resisted, suggesting that they would lose viewers if there was a late switch that took an attractive matchup from their schedule. Tagliabue said a late switch also would inconvenience fans with tickets for a game. His alternative would be the two games. That would have to be approved by the networks and the owners, perhaps at league meetings in March. He did not say what financial arrangements would be involved, although ABC would have to make a financial concession to the network that loses a Sunday game. Last year, the owners discussed the possibility of switching Sunday and Monday night games. Because of opposition from Fox and CBS, no vote was taken. ==================================== I think this would be a very bad idea. The whole tradition of MNF and the appeal of the entire nation watching your team would be lost. Sure we would have to live with some crappy games, but everyone plays at a higher level on MNF.
I disagree. I think it is a great idea. It allows ABC the ability to show a better quality game later in the year which is what everyone wants. If one game becomes a blow out, they just switch to the other game. I think it is an interesting idea. Just make sure that DirecTV viewers will be able to view the alternate game not showing in your area.
It's an interesting idea. I could go for it -- if I'm going to stay up until midnight watching a football game, I'd prefer it to be one with a least *some* entertainment value.
Who wouldn't want to watch The Oakland Raiders play the Green Bay Packers? Besides the city of Oakland.
I like the idea, a great MNF game with playoff implications is the best and the other MNF fans still get regional coverage of their team. Seems like a win - win to me...
Of course, there's still a good chance that both games would stink on any given Monday night, especially given how quickly the mighty fall in the current NFL.
How many times is the MNF game a game that would have been a classic the year before but sucks ass this year? This would give ABC the option of showing the better late season game. I'm all for it.
I think this is a great idea. With the extreme amount of parity in the NFL, setting up schedules for the following season, consisting of tantalizing matchups on Monday Night, is an antiquated notion that can no longer be realized. A flexible schedule that allows the NFL to serve its customers with the more enticing product to better captivate its television audience, and thus generate greater revenue, is the idea solution for both fans and the league.
I think it's terrible from the player perspective. Monday night is what it's all about. And you won't even know if you're going to be on national TV.
Well at least David Boston can stop practicing the alternate inflections in his voice when he says "THE Ohio State University"
But the second game will still be scheduled at the beginning of the season. It's just that there will be two to choose from rather than just the one. I mean, this week's two games could've been Green Bay vs. Oakland and Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta or the NY Giants for all we know.
Spot on. I love the idea, because frankly MNF has stunk since Michaels, Gifford and Dierdorf split up. And they have had some pretty crappy matchups the last few years. With the NFL being so chaotic from year to year, it's a smart move. Only 3 teams from last years playoffs(titans, colts, eagles) are slotted to make it back as the standings are now. Plus, pued is right, sunday night football on espn is better. Better announcing crew chemistry, better on the field features like having certain cameras and players miked up. Brad Meester in the Jacksonville-Tampa game was hilarious. That's why sunday night is better. Also, it seems like they choose week by week who is on sunday night football, as who would have put the falcons-panthers on last week before the beginning of this year. A part of me also thinks the players get up more for ESPN games because in today's society ESPN is the leader in sports coverage, passing sister company ABC up. But primarily it's because of the other reasons I mentioned above and it can't hurt that Sunday is football day. It just is. I enjoy watching sunday night football a lot more than monday night football at this point.
They would, apparently, as those games are scheduled at the regular time just like all the rest of 'em. The Sunday Night game is often the dumping ground for teams that weren't very good the year before. It gives them a national game so they can't complain as much about being shut out of MNF. But because of the up-and-down nature of the NFL, sometimes those games end up being good ones (and sometimes there are teams that are expected to be good teams scheduled, too, just so ESPN won't complain about having dogs all year).
Look at it this way coma...if your team is good enough, the whole nation will see them because ABC will pick it up. If your team sucks, then they wont be shown. I think its a great idea. It also gives more teams/players the opportunity to play on Monday night instead of having teams that were good last year get scheduled for all of the games.
I assume some people will get the worse game regardless. It isn't just going to go untelevised even if it is a boring match-up. And, once again, who's to say either game is going to be any good? Or that the network will make the right choice of game to show. For that matter, both games may end up being good and then you'd miss out on at least one.
It will be regional broadcast though. I'm sure most people won't care since they'd rather watch their hometown team anyway. And if you miss Madden and Michaels that much, never fear.. cause they'll be back next week.. Who's to say any game will be good? It doesn't secure a stellar game, but it increases the odds quite a bit. I don't think they'll screw that up. There might come a time when both games are important, in which case I imagine they'd use the team with more star power or just split the broadcast up regionally. That doesn't hold any water. Anyone who doesn't get NFL Sunday Ticket misses out on a ton of games each week. That's what sportscenter is for. I think I'd rather increase my chances of seeing an important game at the risk (albeit minute) chance of missing a very good game which is overridden by the more important game. I think the vote on this board is pretty one-sided and hopefully ABC will get the message.
