Season Extension

Rumor has it that the NFL owners are looking to expand to 18 week regular season. In order to do this, they intend to shorten the preseason to two weeks. As you might imagine, the players are not half as excited about this as the owners are. During the preseason, the starters normally get more breaks to relieve the wear and tear on the body as well as give the younger players a chance to get on the field. No matter what people think though, we all know the true reason behind any of this. As New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft said,

"There’s not a lot ways in this economic environment we can generate incremental revenues. That’s the best way."

Of course, it all has to do with money. There is a lot more money to be made on regular-season games than on the preseason. I wonder how wise this is however. I think that the injuries will increase quite a bit because by the end of the season with the current schedule, players are tired enough. Add two more weeks with the intensity of the regular season and I think you will have problems with fatigue. But I don't think that will slow down the owners, I think we will see more regular-season football in future seasons.
Photo by krisandapril on Flickr