The NFL preseason stinks, and basically everyone hates it.
But apparently, not even an expanded playoff field will be enough to get it shortened.
According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, the expected 2015 expansion of the playoff field is not necessarily tied to fewer preseason games.
“I’m not sure that we’ll see it being shortened,” Giants co-owner John Mara said.
Packers president Mark Murphy said the two concepts were “not necessarily” linked.
But while the additional revenues from more playoff inventory will be huge, it may not be enough to make owners give up the easy money of selling full-fare tickets to half-talent games.
“The proposal to expand the postseason is two additional games,” Murphy said. “That’s a pretty minimal impact, . . .
“I anticipate we will expand the playoffs. When will the vote take place? My guess is probably after the [2014] season. That way, you give people a little more time to think about it.”
Essentially, owners are thinking why give up money they don’t have to, until they have to.
Mara said more teams might go to variable pricing, which would cut into the gouging for preseason games (while charging a premium for the “better” games on the regular season schedule). And while more teams are going the joint-practice route, the football side is going to argue against the games they think they need to pick a 53-man roster.
“You never know,” Mara said. “Someone could put it up for a vote. Maybe you could see more scrimmages to deal with the player-evaluation part of it. But I just don’t know that I see us reducing the preseason in the near future.”
So what can we learn from this?
The only thing better than having your cake and eating it too, is having more cake, and making more money to eat it.