NFL boss Roger Goodell aims preseason games cut, but sense will not prevail – NFL News
After questioning quality of Pro Bowl game and threatening to cease it, the National Football League (NFL) has focused the standards of preseason phase, sounding intention of cutting down the number of games from current four to two games.
The idea has been touted by NFL’s Commissioner Roger Goodell while was speaking at Harvard University a day earlier. Apparently, the commissioner believes the competition in the preseason games is a mock exercise that does not meet standards for which the
NFL is known for.
It was second time in a month that Roger has presented the self-belief of cutting down the preseason games, although one other main stakeholders, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), is mum over the development.
Goodell may be right in pointing out that the competition of the preseason game is a mock competition, as the teams do not come out with some of their regular starters. They keep their cards on their weakness and strengths closer to their chests, but the
preseason is just another phase of preparations and expecting these games to be of world class competition does not seem right.
Some commentators believe that sense has not prevailed in the thinking of commissioner to demand real competition out of the preseason phase. They are not recognised games and just aim at giving a real environment for teams to play in, after wrapping up
their training camps.
So the commissioner should compare these games with training camps not with the regular season. The preseason phase plays a role of transformation or of a bridge to reduce the divide between training and actual season. Imagine if the players are thrown directly
in the regular season from training camps, a lot of questions about their fitness and adaptability can pop up.
A suggestion here for the NFL’s wise man can be that he can pitch the NFL teams against College League teams so that the issue of a real competition can be sorted out. It will be a good opportunity for the college league players to have exposure of the pro
league, and they will have the stadiums full of students cheering for their players against the pros.
Otherwise, cutting down the number of preseason games will not help create more competitive conditions for the teams, and the teams and league will have to lose more than gain anything out of it.
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