NFL Looking Into Expanding Thursday Night Football Package As Soon As 2012

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said today the NFL "is looking at adding additional games" in 2012 to the current NFL Network package of seven Thursday night games and one on Saturday night. "It [the NFL Network package] has certainly been everything we expected, and we do look to expand it and maybe expand our NFL Network package as early as next year," Goodell told Peter King of Sports Illustrated in his Park Avenue office for his "NFL Podcast With Peter King" on SI.com and iTunes. "We currently have eight games and we're looking at adding additional games as early as next year." Of the 17 NFL regular season weeks, there are eight Thursday night games -- one on NBC to kick off the season, and seven on NFL Network, beginning in Week 10. It's unknown how many games the NFL would add in prime-time next year. But Goodell said, "I don't see it being every Thursday of the season." The commish also said the Thursday night package could expand "into a new network or a different package with another partner", but in the short term, Goodell said it would probably stay on NFL Network. "I think we want to be thoughtful and smart when we make the steps to expand the season or the days of the week that we play." Asked if the NFL would eventually begin playing games on other days of the week than the Sunday-Monday-Thursday rotation, he said he doubted it. "I don't [see it]," Goodell said. "I think we like being special. I think we like having a day where you anticipate having football. I think when you have games every night of the week, as an example, it takes away from that uniqueness and that special nature of our game." What might make sense for the NFL is to take advantage of the slow sports period in September and do some games there, without conflicting with the October baseball playoffs.

Source: Sports Illustrated

 

Start Week One.

 

They do with the defending Super Bowl champs...........

 

i will never understand the NFL's hesitation to go head-to-head with the MLB playoffs, as if they owe them something.

as far as expanding prime-time games beyond Sunday, Monday, and Thursday, I say no. It's hard enough ignoring my family commitments 2 afternoons (including college) and 3 nights a week. I don't think i can do 4 or 5 evenings consistently every week without my wife divorcing me and my kids becoming tramps and crackheads.

 

That's how the NFL thinks. If some is good, more is better.

 

no question they will do it if it will increase revenue

 

yeah heck the short weeks for the players.

 

More player injuries?

 

tough playing sunday and then again on thursday.

 

Gonna be a lot of risk out there without proper "heal time.". Not to mention an injured player might not be ready to play Thursday where they could be ready on a Sunday.

 

Like the Cowboys are doing this week.

BTW, can someone tell me why the Cowboys played ON THE ROAD when they had a short week anyway because of playing on Thanksgiving? The NFL needs to do something about that.

 

Lotta "flaws" in the NFL Schedule...