Mitch
Crawled Through 5 FB Fields
Want to generate more revenue, reduce the number of pre-season games to two and enhance player development?...while at the same time helping to keep fans excited for more of the calendar year?
Hi, Mitch Goodell, here...and here is my proposal:
1. Free agency starts the last Saturday in February.
2. We move the draft up to the last weekend in March to precede the Final Four in what would be one extraordinary college sports extraveganza. If it were this year, for example:
Thursday March 31: NFL Draft Round 1. Time: 7 PM-10 PM EDT
Friday April 1: NFL Draft Rounds 2-3. Time: 7 PM-11 PM EDT
Saturday April 2: NFL Draft Rounds 4-7. Time: 11 AM-4 PM EDT
Saturday April 2: Final Four Games: 6:45 & 9:00 PM EDT
Monday April 4: NCAA Championship: 8:45 PM EDT
Essentially the NFL Draft would be in the books before the Final 4 began.
Mini-Camp for veterans and rookies: The second weekend in April.
3. 80 Man Pre-Season Player Rosters to be established by the last Saturday in April.
4. Teams designate 45 man developmental squad rosters by the last Sunday in April (35 exemptions---for veterans, players on IR, etc.).
5. Developmental Squads are overseen in practices by the Head Coach, but coached in the games by the team assistant coaches---practices begin the first week of May.
Teams practice 3 weeks and then play a 4 game schedule. Games will be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights---televised by NFL Network, Tru TV and Fox Sports Net as Pay Per View events. Fan packages for games:
Going to the game: $20/ticket ($10 for kids under 18)---first come, first serve. This will give the average Joe fan a a chance to sit in seats he normally would never have a shot at.
Luxury Boxes: $1,000 per game---for company functions or private parties.
Watching on TV: Free for the 3 Prime-Time games on NFL Network. For all non primetime games: $15/game...or a 4 game package for $50...or an all-game access for $75.
6. Games start the last week of May and end the 3rd Saturday in June.
The question is: would fans pay $20 a pop to see developmental games? I don't think there is any question---6 million fans tuned into the NFL Combine---and millions more will tune into the NFL Draft. If your team drafts QB Cam Newton, for example, would you be interested in seeing how he plays in the 4 developmental games?
Plus---what's great about this format is that assistant coaches can get some experience calling plays---and TV crews can develop more play-by-play announcers and analysts.
NFL Network Developmental Games of the Week---they televise three prime-time games each week: Thursday night, Friday night & Saturday night. The prime-time games will not be Pay Per View. All others will.
The developmental players will have a little more than a month off after the 4 games to run, lift, rest up and get ready for training camp.
7. Training camps begin the last weekend of July.
8. Teams play 2 pre-season games (one home and one away) the last two weekends of August.
9. Team rosters: 53 players and 8 man practice squad. All 53 roster players are now eligible to play in the games---eliminating the 8 man non-active designations.
10. The regular 16 game season starts the first weekend of September, regardless of where Labor Day is.
11. Playoff Expansion: 4 Div. Winners and 4 Wild Cards in each Conference. No Byes. 4 Division Winners host 1st Round games and are the 1st 4 seeds 1-4 in each conference. Wild Card seeds will be the 5-8 seeds.
Seeds:
1st Round: Saturday
#1 AFC-Div (1) vs. #4 AFC-WC (8)
#4 AFC-Div (4) vs. #1 AFC-WC (5)
#1 NFC-Div (1) vs. #4 NFC-WC (8)
#4 NFC-Div (4) vs. #1 NFC-WC (5)
Times (EDT): 12 PM; 3 PM; 6 PM; 9 PM
Ist Round Sunday
#2 AFC-Div (2) vs #3 AFC-WC (7)
#3 AFC-Div (3) vs #2 AFC-WC (6)
#2 NFC-Div (2) vs #3 NFC-WC (7)
#3 NFC-Div (3) vs #2 NFC-WC (6)
Times (EDT): 12 PM; 3 PM; 6 PM; 9 PM
4 extra games = more revenue and, imo, more excitement, as more teams will have a chance to make the playoffs and make a run at the Lombardi.
Trying my best to earn my $1 salary---and create a calendar that will excite the NFL fan year round.
I know I would love an earlier draft---would absolutely love to see a 4 game glimpse at the development of the rookies and younger players---and would love the top 8 teams of each conference to play for the Lombardi.
Yours truly,
Mitch Goodell
Hi, Mitch Goodell, here...and here is my proposal:
1. Free agency starts the last Saturday in February.
2. We move the draft up to the last weekend in March to precede the Final Four in what would be one extraordinary college sports extraveganza. If it were this year, for example:
Thursday March 31: NFL Draft Round 1. Time: 7 PM-10 PM EDT
Friday April 1: NFL Draft Rounds 2-3. Time: 7 PM-11 PM EDT
Saturday April 2: NFL Draft Rounds 4-7. Time: 11 AM-4 PM EDT
Saturday April 2: Final Four Games: 6:45 & 9:00 PM EDT
Monday April 4: NCAA Championship: 8:45 PM EDT
Essentially the NFL Draft would be in the books before the Final 4 began.
Mini-Camp for veterans and rookies: The second weekend in April.
3. 80 Man Pre-Season Player Rosters to be established by the last Saturday in April.
4. Teams designate 45 man developmental squad rosters by the last Sunday in April (35 exemptions---for veterans, players on IR, etc.).
5. Developmental Squads are overseen in practices by the Head Coach, but coached in the games by the team assistant coaches---practices begin the first week of May.
Teams practice 3 weeks and then play a 4 game schedule. Games will be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights---televised by NFL Network, Tru TV and Fox Sports Net as Pay Per View events. Fan packages for games:
Going to the game: $20/ticket ($10 for kids under 18)---first come, first serve. This will give the average Joe fan a a chance to sit in seats he normally would never have a shot at.
Luxury Boxes: $1,000 per game---for company functions or private parties.
Watching on TV: Free for the 3 Prime-Time games on NFL Network. For all non primetime games: $15/game...or a 4 game package for $50...or an all-game access for $75.
6. Games start the last week of May and end the 3rd Saturday in June.
The question is: would fans pay $20 a pop to see developmental games? I don't think there is any question---6 million fans tuned into the NFL Combine---and millions more will tune into the NFL Draft. If your team drafts QB Cam Newton, for example, would you be interested in seeing how he plays in the 4 developmental games?
Plus---what's great about this format is that assistant coaches can get some experience calling plays---and TV crews can develop more play-by-play announcers and analysts.
NFL Network Developmental Games of the Week---they televise three prime-time games each week: Thursday night, Friday night & Saturday night. The prime-time games will not be Pay Per View. All others will.
The developmental players will have a little more than a month off after the 4 games to run, lift, rest up and get ready for training camp.
7. Training camps begin the last weekend of July.
8. Teams play 2 pre-season games (one home and one away) the last two weekends of August.
9. Team rosters: 53 players and 8 man practice squad. All 53 roster players are now eligible to play in the games---eliminating the 8 man non-active designations.
10. The regular 16 game season starts the first weekend of September, regardless of where Labor Day is.
11. Playoff Expansion: 4 Div. Winners and 4 Wild Cards in each Conference. No Byes. 4 Division Winners host 1st Round games and are the 1st 4 seeds 1-4 in each conference. Wild Card seeds will be the 5-8 seeds.
Seeds:
1st Round: Saturday
#1 AFC-Div (1) vs. #4 AFC-WC (8)
#4 AFC-Div (4) vs. #1 AFC-WC (5)
#1 NFC-Div (1) vs. #4 NFC-WC (8)
#4 NFC-Div (4) vs. #1 NFC-WC (5)
Times (EDT): 12 PM; 3 PM; 6 PM; 9 PM
Ist Round Sunday
#2 AFC-Div (2) vs #3 AFC-WC (7)
#3 AFC-Div (3) vs #2 AFC-WC (6)
#2 NFC-Div (2) vs #3 NFC-WC (7)
#3 NFC-Div (3) vs #2 NFC-WC (6)
Times (EDT): 12 PM; 3 PM; 6 PM; 9 PM
4 extra games = more revenue and, imo, more excitement, as more teams will have a chance to make the playoffs and make a run at the Lombardi.
Trying my best to earn my $1 salary---and create a calendar that will excite the NFL fan year round.
I know I would love an earlier draft---would absolutely love to see a 4 game glimpse at the development of the rookies and younger players---and would love the top 8 teams of each conference to play for the Lombardi.
Yours truly,
Mitch Goodell
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