Every week, a strange story emerges. Every once is a while, the strange story crosses into the realm of the downright freaking bizarre.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the NFL is considering the possibility of periodic Thursday night doubleheaders. The league quickly said, “No we’re not.”
Then, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said, “Yes we are.”
Again, the NFL said, “No. We’re not.”
Jones then said, “Maybe we’re not.”
If there was any lingering confusion (and there was, even though there shouldn’t have been), Peter King of TheMMQB.com reported during Football Night in America that “there is no chance” of a doubleheader. I then followed King by pointing out that the NFL wouldn’t be able to do it without the consent of the NFLPA, and that the NFLPA has no desire to subject its players to more short-week games.
The union would be willing to consider the possibility only if the league would be willing to adjust the percentage of the pie that the players currently receive.
The far more likely possibility, as King explained, is that a portion of the Thursday night package would be carved away from NFL Network and sold to the highest bidder. That could happen, as a practical matter, by 2015.