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Should The NFL Consider Ditching Thursday Night Football?

Double Barrel

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Should The NFL Consider Ditching Thursday Night Football?

Each of the 32 teams in the NFL play in at least one Thursday game during the season. The broadcasting rights are currently split between NFL Network, CBS, and NBC, with Twitter digitally streaming 10 of the games, but changes could be on the horizon.

The faltering ratings and lowered viewership during the 2016 season is causing the NFL to take a closer look at what is working and what isn’t as the contracts for broadcasting come to an end in 2017.

According to Pro Football Talk, the league is considering ending, or at least limiting, Thursday Night Football by 2018.

Many players and coaches around the league have expressed their disdain for the shortened weeks and added games.

Full article
 
There is such a thing as "too much of a good thing".

Unless The Texans are playing on Thursday I have no interest and even when they do play on Thursday I hate it. The only games I've ever watched on Thursdays are the Thanksgiving games and those I watched because that was the tradition.
 
I don't think it was bad to try it but the players and coaches hate it. Fans don't seem to love it either. Time to give it up as a failed experiment.

I agree completely. When they started it, I was all about more football as a fan.

Now, though, I'm just not seeing compelling games and it seems more detrimental to player safety and overall team readiness than anything else.

There is such a thing as "too much of a good thing".

Unless The Texans are playing on Thursday I have no interest and even when they do play on Thursday I hate it. The only games I've ever watched on Thursdays are the Thanksgiving games and those I watched because that was the tradition.

Yep. Keep the three games on Thanksgiving (I do like having one at night to be like a python while the food digests), but ditch the rest of Thursday night football.
 
I'm not there yet. Football seven days a week would be taxing, but the three/four are ok with me. What I do like about days other than Sunday's is not having to divide attention between two or more games being played at the same time.
 
It probably doesn't help that it's a Red Zone channel world now so sitting down and watching one and only one game, might be becoming a little boring to this all info 24/7 world we live in now. Not to mention Game Rewind where you can watch an entire game in about 20 minutes.

Now, I'll sit and watch one game, last night for example. Good game between 2 teams I don't really care about, but I still watched because I like football. And I'll watch tonight. I like football.

That said, Thursday night I've just never really gotten into. By Thursday night, you're plowing through the work week trying to get to the weekend, and for me, I never remember there's a game on that night. Especially when The Blacklist or How To Get Away With Murder or some other shows I like are on, and it's Jacksonville vs. Cleveland or something crap like that playing. And remember, I like football.

And as a season ticket holder I absolutely loathe Thursday night Texans home games.

So it wouldn't hurt my feelings any if they got rid of it.
 
Pretty much agree with everyone. This is what Mark Cuban meant when he said "Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered."

Once upon a time there were 30 "time slots" with live NFL regular season games (14 game schedule, 14 at noon Sundays, 14 at 3 PM Sundays, and 2 on Thanksgiving). Then they went to 43 by adding 13 Monday night games, which was awesome. Now its a 17 week season, Thursday, Sunday, Monday and a few from London on Sunday morning and a couple of Saturday games around Christmas. About 90 live game "time slots". 30 was too few, 43 was probably too few, 90 is too many.

So people stop watching every game, starts with Thursdays. Then they skipping a few Mondays. When the local team plays at 3 on Sunday, they take the family to brunch and skip the noon games. After a while they only watch the local team, or even go full NBA and only watch the playoffs.

(For now) they could keep the opening week Thursday game with the Superb Owl champ and the Thanksgiving games. Any Thursday night games (after week 1) should only be between teams both coming off a bye. Should not have any byes until at least week 4, so no Thursday games weeks 2-4 or after Thanksgiving.
 
Thursday is just too far in left field IMO. I wouldn't hate a 3rd day of football, but there really isn't anywhere to put it. Saturday night would be great, but it conflicts with college games - which I personally think would be a good thing. Tuesday maybe, but the work week is going and fans have had their fix. Thursday (except for the traditional Thanksgiving games) is just too short a week for the teams** and doesn't line up with 'football weekend' for the fans. Also there are so few really good matchups each week, and even with flex scheduling at the end of the season it's hard to get a good pairing. I tend to watch a lot of football, but have only really seen 1 Thursday game this year and that was the first game of the season.

I think we've got enough variety with basic cable. 2 games at noon. 1-2 games at 3pm (needs to always be 2 games). 1 game at 7pm. 1 game Monday night. That's 6 games to choose from each week - more than enough for 95% of fans. The truly hardcore have options of cable packages to extend their choices.

**IMO the strongest point against Thursday games is the effect on players and coaches. There's no time for practice. Monday and Tuesday are needed for physical recovery, so there's little more than film study and walk-throughs before getting on a plane. I realize they're peak professionals and on equal footing, but it's a sport to me, not a spectacle.
 
I know there is probably some sort of agreement between the NCAA and the NFL, but personally, I would like to see an NFL game on Saturday night as there is usually nothing on the telly.
I reckon the players and coaches would prefer that as far as prep and healing time are concerned and a Saturday night game would allow working class people the luxury of staying up late to watch a game to it's conclusion without cutting into their sleep cycle.
 
Yep...i think it takes NFL football just a smidge over to over-saturation mode, most times the match ups are trash & you can't preach player safety and then come back & have players playing a game 4 days after their last. Furthermore, the games mean too much to have 2 or more of them potentially thrown away mainly b/c of the players not having enough time to recover......plus i always forget to check my fantasy players.
 
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Yes.
I haven't watched a whole game on Thursday Night all year long.
And lately I don't even bother trying to find out who will be playing.


Even the Texans??

Edit: and they can scrap playing in Mexico and London too for all I care.

I must disagree since London was my best road trip ever. I can't wait to reschedule the trip to Lambeau to fulfill the bucket list.
 
Yes. I hate Thursday games. Not enough time for players to recover and it usually shows on the field.
 
No, smaller markets have been clamoring for more airtime Thursday nights along with Monday's
and Sunday's line up's provide a chance for everyone to be seen
 
Personally, I hate both Thursday and Monday night games.
I agree. Except this Thursday is the Chiefs and the Raiders and on Monday it's the Patriots and the Ravens.

I wish they would get rid of Thursday and Monday night games and move them both to Saturday.

2 Saturday games would be cool.
 
I agree. Except this Thursday is the Chiefs and the Raiders and on Monday it's the Patriots and the Ravens.

I wish they would get rid of Thursday and Monday night games and move them both to Saturday.

2 Saturday games would be cool.

Remember way back when towards the end of the season we would get Saturday NFL games? That was the life!
 
I enjoy the college games Thursday night and all day Saturday.

NFL is for Sunday and Monday for me.

College has a huge break between Conf championships and Bowl Games; that's when NFL played it's Saturday games.
 
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Remember way back when towards the end of the season we would get Saturday NFL games? That was the life!

They still do it. The NFL waits until the college season is over. They have a Saturday game scheduled this year starting on December 17. Nothing interesting, though (Jets vs. Dolphins). And a bunch of games are scheduled on Christmas Eve this year since it's on a Saturday. Nothing the following week since it's New Year's Eve.
 
They still do it. The NFL waits until the college season is over. They have a Saturday game scheduled this year starting on December 17. Nothing interesting, though (Jets vs. Dolphins). And a bunch of games are scheduled on Christmas Eve this year since it's on a Saturday. Nothing the following week since it's New Year's Eve.
Yes, the Texans play on Christmas Eve, and the Cowboys play the day after Christmas. I couldn't ask for a better weekend/beginning.
 
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I must disagree since London was my best road trip ever. I can't wait to reschedule the trip to Lambeau to fulfill the bucket list.
Just got back from London. Had a great time. And no football game was necessary.
:D

I will say that the next time I go to London, I might try and schedule it so I can make the NFL game.
But it won't be a deal breaker.
 
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