Pittsburgh Steelers' Dan Rooney is concerned about lack of progress in NFL labor nego

[MattsMe]

Originally Posted by wutchy

I'd like to see an 18 game season. It's a reasonable and attractive settlement. NFL football until almost March.
Eliminate the paractice squad and put those guys on the roster to help deal with injury issues.

Maybe I'm wrong, but who said adding two more games means the season will last until March?

They're going to get rid of two preseason games. The season will be the exact same length I believe. Again, someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

The difference is the starters will be playing two more games than they usually do.

[wutchy]

Making assumptions about inuries, watered down football, and the like, is merely making comments that can recieve no rebuttal because when you deal in assumptions instead of facts, you leave no room for anything but more assumptions, and facts become irrevelent.
Injuries are part of the game, when you have one, you have to substitue a starter with a back-up. Of course there will be a drop off in performance. But calling it watered down is nonsense. A season ending injury can occur on the first game on the season. Or in training camp. With a two game extended season, with added roster spots, guys won't have to play hurt if there is sufficient depth.
The talent pool is out there. Guys don't get cut on final cutdown because they can't play in this league, they get cut because there are only so many roster spots per position.

[wutchy]

Originally Posted by MattsMe

Maybe I'm wrong, but who said adding two more games means the season will last until March?

They're going to get rid of two preseason games. The season will be the exact same length I believe. Again, someone please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

The difference is the starters will be playing two more games than they usually do.

Eliminating two pre-season game for an 18 game season is only a proposal.
Coachs have to like the 4 pre-season games to evaluate game talent and conditioning. Two pre-season games isn't enough to evaluate game talent.

As a "football fan" I'd like to see 4 pre-season games, and 18 regular season games.
There is a BIG, HUGE, difference between a "Steeler fan" and a "Football fan".
I know many many many "Steeler Fans" who aren't football fans. The only game they watch is the Steeler game. I watch every game on Sunday, and watch it with a football fans eye. I look at pre-snap sets, look for Te's and Safetys, pat attention to coverages and line play. I'm a football fan first, and a Steeler fan second. I enjoy watching every game, not just Steeler games.

I was a football fan before i was a steeler fan. I liked footbal from my youth, i liked the Steelers from about 1975 on.

Too many steeler fans are merely steeler fans. they know nothing about football because they only watch steeler games. The steelers have been good for 35 years now. So you have 40 year old steeler bandwagon fans who don't know squat about football. I make time to watch college football on saturday, and NFL on sunday.

AS A FAN, i'd like to see 18 game seasons. If i was only a steeler fan, and not a football fan, I could understand the argument against 18 game seasons. But I do have a hard time trying to understand why a steeler fan wouldn't like to see the season extended by two games. MAKES ABOUT AS MUCH SENSE AS BEING A STEELER FAN, AND NOT A FOOTBALL FAN. Like i said, i know many people who follow the steelers and nothing else about football. Lots of those clowns around here.

[lionslicer]

This would never happen if
a) Goodell didn't push for 18 games
b) The NFL would allow players to wear gear other than Riddell (which isn't the safest football gear out there)
c) the players union did not exist
d) better regulations on player contracts
e) Goodell was fired