Monday, Feb. 7, 2000

The offseason

With the season just ended, there is still plenty of action to keep NFL fans busy

By Keith Schleiden, Managing editor

So you are afraid that your football fix will go unfulfilled now? No need to worry. Things are just beginning to heat up again, even if there won’t be an NFL kickoff until the end of July — a painful six months away.

What you can look forward to (and remember to check our Web site daily for coverage of the following events) is the start of the free-agent signing period, which begins Feb. 11. Then there is the Combine in Indianapolis, which runs Feb. 24-28. We will be sending a pair of editors there to bring you all of the news on the rookies. The NFL draft follows in April, and then minicamps open leaguewide. After that, July training camps are just around the corner, followed by the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game to be played July 29. Before you know it, Sept. 3 will be here, and the 2000 regular season begins.

But enough about the future. A couple of topics have caught my eye in recent weeks, and I’d like to share my opinions on these NFL matters.

First, the Pro Bowl. I admit, I didn’t watch the entire game. I listened to part of the first half on the radio while speeding down I-94 from Milwaukee to Chicago. Upon arriving home, I watched while attending to various household chores. Usually, just about any worthless TV program can keep me from doing the dishes and cleaning out the refrigerator. However, the Pro Bowl couldn’t capture my interest enough to keep me on the couch. Yes, Randy Moss’ nine catches for a Pro Bowl-record 212 yards receiving was neat to see. The high-scoring affair made the game a little more palatable. But I guess I have problems with games that don’t mean anything. That said, I still want to attend the Pro Bowl next season. (Are you listening, PFW budget planner?)

Also on mind is the idea of flexible scheduling in the NFL. There is a proposal out there, being considered by the league office and the television networks, that would make it possible to have better late-season matchups. All teams would know in April, as usual, whom they are playing and in what week of the regular season. However, teams would not know on which day or at what time they would be playing in December. For example, the Packers would know they are playing the Buccaneers in Tampa in Week 16. However, it wouldn’t be known if it was a noon or 3 p.m. game on Sunday, or a Monday-night affair. The thinking is, we would be able to put the most widely anticipated matchup on Monday night, and some of the other better games in national slots on Sunday. That way, we would avoid having to watch an Atlanta-San Francisco Monday-nighter late in the season, after both teams have long been eliminated from the playoff race.

I love the idea. In fact, some editors in the office tossed the idea around last December. However, we dismissed it, thinking there was no way the league would go for such a deal. I still believe it is a long shot to get passed. You have to take into account how it affects the ticket holders. Some fans who have tickets need to make plans more than a couple of weeks in advance, and it would certainly affect them. Also, I would guess a large number of teams would reject such a plan, even if it means better ratings for the television networks. Not knowing when you are playing would mean breaking with all-important regular-season routines, something that coaches would hate to do.

The Archives
1999 - 2000 Season