OK, Thursday Night Football, it’s time for you to go.
It’s been a fun experiment, 10 years now we’ve been doing this “more than just Thanksgiving” edition of Thursday Night Football, but it’s time to end this embarrassment to the sport.
Few love football more than me. I spent the last 19 years training and preparing to make a career coaching football, and only recently walked away. I have a deep understanding of the sport, beyond the Xs and Os, I understand the mind of the sport and those who enjoy it. I love every aspect of football, so when I say I want one less night a week to watch my favorite pastime, I don’t say it lightly.
There is one thing that keeps football games on TV and in our stadiums: the teams. The players, coaches and management work to bring us a quality game every Sunday and Monday. However, the shortened week created by Thursday Night Football doesn't give teams a chance to bring us a quality product.
From a player perspective, I can’t imagine being asked to play again in less than four days. Thursday Night Football is a joke to player safety and the players know it. The timing and effort put into playing a football game is immense. I’ve worked the 50 hour weeks with days stretching from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. I know how the shortening of a week reduces your ability to create a quality product.
Kent Somers, senior writer covering the Arizona Cardinals and the NFL at the Arizona Republic, said he is yet to meet a player who likes Thursday night games.
“No question, the players I cover, it takes a heavy toll,” Somers said. “It’s a lot to ask to to ask them to play two games within, basically, four days.”
The NFL boasts that it’s number one concern is player safety. In light of scrutiny from research showing how football can lead to CTE, the league has changed rules and adopted a more strict policy on protecting players. The NFL sacrificed a more fun game for a safer game when they started punishing “good defense” for fear of head injury. The continuing of Thursday Night Football is a hypocrisy of pharisaical levels, when you consider what the player’s bodies are put through.
“The thing you hear from players and other people is how hypocritical is that the league preaches about player safety, how that’s their number one concern and yet their asking players to play two very violent games within four days of each other,” Somers said.
Good thing the NFL only did a two-year deal with CBS & NBC for Thursday Night Football. Time to kill it after next season.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 1, 2016
The NFL has made improvements: teams play in their own divisions on Thursday night, so they don't have to travel as far. Less travel means more time to prepare for games and more time to rest. Playing within the division means the teams know each other better and are already better prepared.
The problem is that the NFL has dominated viewership in the U.S., as long as that doesn’t change, nothing will. The NFL has seen ratings drop this year, especially Thursday Night Football, which some have attributed to the election, among other issues. This is an interesting development, but nobody should celebrate yet.
“I think maybe the Thursday night games are here to stay,” Somers said. “It has added revenue to the NFL, that revenue is obviously shared with players.”
Aside from the danger of the sport, the games aren’t even any fun to watch or to follow. Thursday Night Football hurts fantasy football because the games lack successful offense, and fantasy players don't score as many points. The games have consistently resulted in a home team win because without travel, they have an extra day to prepare. Only two teams have lost at home, San Francisco and Tampa Bay, and combined they are 4-12.
“If you had to generalize it and rate the quality of football, it’s usually not very good,” Somers said. “Players are beat up, there’s less you can do with the game plan, there’s less they can practice during the week, so the games aren’t as good.”
I don’t want to watch players suffer anymore. I don’t want to watch quality of football suffer anymore.
Please, Commissioner Goodell, make it stop.
My recommendation is to get rid of the games completely. If the league won’t do that, they should institute a second bye week before any Thursday night games. Give the players a chance to rest, heal and recover.
This is a chance for the suits and ties of the NFL to serve those who make them money. NFL, end Thursday Night Football.
Reach the columnist at maatenci@asu.edu or follow @mitchellatencio on Twitter.
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Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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