Post by Bret Walker on Dec 11, 2006 15:09:49 GMT -5
The NFL has finally obtained parity. It looks like there is a very real chance that an 8-8 team may make the playoffs in the NFC. 8 and 8. If that's not mediocrity, I don't know what is. And we're talking about a conference that has turned away 10-6 teams from the playoffs in the past.
I suppose the NFL sees this watering down of the sport as a good thing, but I can't for the life of me understand why. Maybe they think it's a good thing that crap teams like the Texans and the Browns may somehow squeak into the playoffs, and keep those markets interested in the product. But the product is crap right now. The Colts got their asses handed to them yesterday, by the same team that the Eagles beat last week. The Patriots were shut out by the Dolphins, for crying out loud. This is a quality product? And the whole concept of these "Flex-schedule" games, drives me insane. It's the NFL's way of saying "Hey, this should be an interesting game, let's put it in the primetime slot and to hell with the people in those markets that have already bent their schedules to the original time slot. We need revenue, dammit!"
And I guess that's what it all boils down to. The NFL are making the game impossible to watch, what with the extended reviews and piss-poor product, watered down over the years by a stringent cap and teams that bend to the whims of the players instead of siding with the coaches who have lost control of their teams. The NFL is driven by product, be it Reebok or Starter or Pepsi or Gatorade. How else can you explain the flap over a coach who (shockingly!) wanted to wear a suit and tie, as coaches had done in the past? The league initially said No, citing the leagues affiliation with Starter and the need to placate the sponsors by forcing the coaching staff to wear the Starter jackets with the NFL logos on them. Puhleeze. The man wanted to wear a suit and tie, and the league says NO, we have a dress code!
Personally, I think the entire league should be embarassed for their avarice, but I think that greed and the almighty dollar wins in the end. It always has before.
I suppose the NFL sees this watering down of the sport as a good thing, but I can't for the life of me understand why. Maybe they think it's a good thing that crap teams like the Texans and the Browns may somehow squeak into the playoffs, and keep those markets interested in the product. But the product is crap right now. The Colts got their asses handed to them yesterday, by the same team that the Eagles beat last week. The Patriots were shut out by the Dolphins, for crying out loud. This is a quality product? And the whole concept of these "Flex-schedule" games, drives me insane. It's the NFL's way of saying "Hey, this should be an interesting game, let's put it in the primetime slot and to hell with the people in those markets that have already bent their schedules to the original time slot. We need revenue, dammit!"
And I guess that's what it all boils down to. The NFL are making the game impossible to watch, what with the extended reviews and piss-poor product, watered down over the years by a stringent cap and teams that bend to the whims of the players instead of siding with the coaches who have lost control of their teams. The NFL is driven by product, be it Reebok or Starter or Pepsi or Gatorade. How else can you explain the flap over a coach who (shockingly!) wanted to wear a suit and tie, as coaches had done in the past? The league initially said No, citing the leagues affiliation with Starter and the need to placate the sponsors by forcing the coaching staff to wear the Starter jackets with the NFL logos on them. Puhleeze. The man wanted to wear a suit and tie, and the league says NO, we have a dress code!
Personally, I think the entire league should be embarassed for their avarice, but I think that greed and the almighty dollar wins in the end. It always has before.
