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Semi -OT. NFL bubble

PittPanther44

All Conference
Apr 16, 2005
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If a large part (or all) of CFB doesn’t play, it brings up an interesting possibility with the NFL.

It’s become pretty clear that the hockey and basketball bubbles are working. It’s also becoming clear that baseball is more at risk with no bubble. And while most of the players will be “OK”, the uncertainty of long term impacts makes it more than just assuming they recover. And as much as I want CFB, I’m on the fence with how you keep that many in that many places “clean”

If you are the NFL, you are playing. It’s too much money and the other 3 major US leagues are playing. Football has more contact, but also the ability to offer more protection. A gaitor with a full shield would offer more protection than the typical yinzer going in Gian Iggle.

So that brings me to my point. Could you see the NFL bubbling and using the time vacated by CFB? They could in theory take the full Thursday to Monday window, one game at a time. Yes it screws up the fantasy/red zone experience, but having every game televised during a time with little entertainment options could work.

Of course the problem is that you have to do this for 1) the full season, 2) until there is a vaccine, or 3) mitigation worked to the point where cases are truly isolated.

Not sure that could be pulled off for 4 to 5 months - but baseball is showing that it would otherwise be *very* dicey to keep teams clean and playing all games
 
They could in theory take the full Thursday to Monday window, one game at a time.
IMO yes, and I’ll take it a step further: If CFB cancels and the NFL takes their Saturday time slots, they’re not giving it back. I think you’re going to see a lot of drastic changes in the collegiate athletics landscape because, as we saw today, schools will find ways to move on from conferences if it’s in their own self-interest.
 
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IMO yes, and I’ll take it a step further: If CFB cancels and the NFL takes their Saturday time slots, they’re not giving it back. I think you’re going to see a lot of drastic changes in the collegiate athletics landscape because, as we saw today, schools will find ways to move on from conferences if it’s in their own self-interest.

I think they would get it back. Keep in mind that it’s also an NFL pipeline. It helps the NFL’s brand for college football to be a big deal. Most of the time, we see the big stars play in college and are interested to see them at the next level already.

In addition...NFL Sunday’s are special. It just works. Sure, having playoffs on Saturday are cool, but I think it stays a Sunday sport

Basketball is similar but on a much less scale. You really have to be in to minor league or college baseball/hockey to have watched future stars before they were in the big leagues
 
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I think they would get it back. Keep in mind that it’s also an NFL pipeline. It helps the NFL’s brand for college football to be a big deal. Most of the time, we see the big stars play in college and are interested to see them at the next level already.

In addition...NFL Sunday’s are special. It just works. Sure, having playoffs on Saturday are cool, but I think it stays a Sunday sport

Basketball is similar but on a much less scale. You really have to be in to minor league or college baseball/hockey to have watched future stars before they were in the big leagues
What I’m saying is that I think the NFL will stay on Sundays but would also move to Saturdays as well. I just don’t know how well CFB could recover if they cancel. But again, JMO.
 
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The NFL isn’t going to bubble like the NBA and NHL, if it somehow reached a point where they bubbled it would be each individual team bubbling.

Also the law that was passed to allow the NFL-AFL merger blocks the NFL from televising games on Friday and Saturday nights during the High School and College regular seasons.
 
While you guys make great points in the NFL playing throughout the week this year, they will most certainly go back to Sunday’s next year because guess what Fox and ESPN will make them. They made massive investments in CFB and aren’t gonna showcase those games at 10am Saturday morning.
That’s a very good point.
 
The NFL isn’t going to bubble like the NBA and NHL, if it somehow reached a point where they bubbled it would be each individual team bubbling.

Also the law that was passed to allow the NFL-AFL merger blocks the NFL from televising games on Friday and Saturday nights during the High School and College regular seasons.

Interesting if true. I didn’t realize that was part of it. But I guess if college doesn’t play, then that opens up Saturday. Friday would be more complicated
 
What I’m saying is that I think the NFL will stay on Sundays but would also move to Saturdays as well. I just don’t know how well CFB could recover if they cancel. But again, JMO.
What I’m saying is that I think the NFL will stay on Sundays but would also move to Saturdays as well. I just don’t know how well CFB could recover if they cancel. But again, JMO.

I understood that to be your point. I just think they keep out of Saturdays going forward even if they use them this year

Major CFB would be fine as the pent up demand to go see it would come back strong - but there could be some smaller programs that aren’t so lucky which could mean more P5 versus P5 games.

Maybe that means PSU plays us as opposed to cycling through those small schools that will always visit them. That said...they have actually lessened my desire to play them with all their BS about it not meaning a lot to them
 
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I understood that to be your point. I just think they keep out of Saturdays going forward even if they use them this year

Major CFB would be fine as the pent up demand to go see it would come back strong - but there could be some smaller programs that aren’t so lucky which could mean more P5 versus P5 games.

Maybe that means PSU plays us as opposed to cycling through those small schools that will always visit them. That said...they have actually lessened my desire to play them with all their BS about it not meaning a lot to them
Gotcha, and that makes sense.
 
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