Analyst Warren Sharp on the unprecedented unfairness in the NFL schedule (2 Viewers)

[SigFreudianSlip]

Thanks for posting that @superchuck500. Anything that has the Niners at the bottom makes my heart soar with immense joy.

For a single moment in time, as I read that, all was right with the world.

 

[tarusman28]

Well, Goodell is supposed to be getting an extension. So why don't these NFL teams not give him one until he fix these kinds of problems along with terrible officials.

 

[B4YOU]

At least the Saints are on the positive side of the rest ledger, but damn.

The Raiders get SIX opponents coming off of MNF. And the Jets are gifted the best rest disparity in the league . . .

Jets, Raiders, Bears have 4-5 prime time games. None had a winning season last year.

Raiders = new LV market needs a winner (see LAR playoff treatment)
Jets = Rodgers story line in a major market needs a winner
Bears = zero negative rest days, major market

This is the result of the league going to a zero prime time games for some teams and giving bottom teams in big markets a push to win.

(WFT has new ownership in a big market but no proven QB so great schedule but only 1 prime time game.)

 

[Stalwart385]

My prediction, Jets miss the playoffs and KC goes on another deep run. Not buying the hype. Don't think the Jets have the culture to get it done. I don’t see Rodgers helping that. Heck one of their best players already wants out. Rodgers will just be the next QB to crash and burn in NY while we all point and laugh.

 

[Outbackjack]

What a wussy.
I would guess scheduling 17 games for 32 teams……all with a random bye, it’s more random than anything.

The Jets haven’t won sheet in forever, and they benefit the most, and we’re complaining??

It it was Dallas, SF, NE year after year with huge advantages, ok.

But it’s 1 year, and it’s the Jets, Bears and Wash? They all have sucked forever.

Yeah, not going to get upset about this.

 

[onanygivensunday]

I'm guessing that there are many, many iterations of the NFL schedule that are generated and analyzed similar to what this guy has done, and it's not surprising that Goodell's goons pick the version that benefits the bigger-market teams, and tries to suppress the better, but smaller market teams. It's all about the Shield.

 

[superchuck500]

What a wussy.
I would guess scheduling 17 games for 32 teams……all with a random bye, it’s more random than anything.

The Jets haven’t won sheet in forever, and they benefit the most, and we’re complaining??

It it was Dallas, SF, NE year after year with huge advantages, ok.

But it’s 1 year, and it’s the Jets, Bears and Wash? They all have sucked forever.

Yeah, not going to get upset about this.

It's not random - it's being heavily programmed. You can only argue the anomalies of randomness in a system that is actually random. There is some computer assistance but a substantial part of the schedule is being prepared by people who are trying to set matchups on a given range of criteria. We know that the league now favors divisional games early in the season (so that early-season games are meaningful) and late in the season (so that the playoff field isn't set until after the final week of the season). We know that the league favors key matchups for important time slots throughout the season including opening week prime time, SNF, the Thanksgiving games, etc.

There are too many of these "interests" being plugged into the schedule determinations to allow for much randomness. That doesn't necessarily mean that each of these results is intended, but unintentional and random aren't the same thing. For example, there are 18 MNF games, meaning there are 36 opponents coming off of MNF - in a league with 32 teams, it's pretty remarkable that one team (Raiders) would have six of 35 chances at an opponent coming off of MNF.

 

[StudioSaint]

With 32 teams and 17 games over 18 weeks with four different time categories (Sunday afternoon, SNF, MNF, TNF), they could use an algorithm to set a schedule to favor things like minimizing rest differentials, or travel times, etc.

What this says to me is they're not doing that. They're most likely doing it purely by humans setting games for various interests, matchups, television appeal, etc. - and they might even be doing shady things like trying to favor certain teams, which totally sucks. The Jets going from two years in a row near the league worst on rest to the league best after getting Rodgers is a pretty suspicious result.

They could use technology to minimize these inequities but they're not, which suggests they don't really value that as something to try to fix. That's their prerogative I guess, it's a business and they sell a TV product, but they could at least just admit it.

I think they are using an algorithm designed to create a schedule that maximizes viewership so they can maximize their revenue. The NFL is not community or school athletics. It's a business, so maximizing revenue is always going to be their top goal.

 

[LAhotsauce]

I mean, the fact that the Cowboys ALWAYS get max prime time games, and national tv games every single year, should have told you all you need to know. A long time ago.

Frankly the NFL isn't even half as bad as the NBA in favoring certain markets.

I can't believe they aren't using some kind of machine learning to handle most of the scheduling, but obviously humans step in to make sure the large markets with biggest name players get fed.

 

[Outbackjack]

Is the NFL scripted? No.

Is every NFL game rigged? No.

But you are absolutely living a life of blissful ignorance if you don't think the NFL has outcomes they prefer and in some cases will step in and ensure they get those outcomes.

Does anyone still actually believe the Saints were ever going to win the 2018 NFC Championship Game?

I mean possibly.

If the LA kicker missed the 54 yarder with no time left to send it to OT, and no flags in the play …….we’d have won.

That’s not a gimme.

And they wouldn’t have thrown a late flag on us if he missed, we weren’t offsides and didn't jump the center.

 

[Outbackjack]

I'm guessing that there are many, many iterations of the NFL schedule that are generated and analyzed similar to what this guy has done, and it's not surprising that Goodell's goons pick the version that benefits the bigger-market teams, and tries to suppress the better, but smaller market teams. It's all about the Shield.

But the 3 most beneficial teams…..:have each been losing franchises for 20 years.

So the league favors those teams, or they don’t?

Someone said small market KC has had success so it got screwed, WHAT????

They’re small market, (not what NFL likes) , but they’ve been winning super bowls.

So, now it’s not fixed?

 

[superchuck500]

I think they are using an algorithm designed to create a schedule that maximizes viewership so they can maximize their revenue. The NFL is not community or school athletics. It's a business, so maximizing revenue is always going to be their top goal.

Indeed it is - and the reality is also that if the owners don’t like these results, they can change the scheduling rules at the owners meetings. They could insist on certain parameters and build it into the scheduling system.

As of now they don’t do that, they leave it to the league office to do it without restriction. So the owners appear to be happy with the revenue considerations taking precedence over equity . . . and if the owners don’t care to regulate it than there’s really not much point in fans whining about it. You get what you get.

 

[StudioSaint]

Indeed it is - and the reality is also that if the owners don’t like these results, they can change the scheduling rules at the owners meetings. They could insist on certain parameters and build it into the scheduling system.

As of now they don’t do that, they leave it to the league office to do it without restriction. So the owners appear to be happy with the revenue considerations taking precedence over equity . . . and if the owners don’t care to regulate it than there’s really not much point in fans whining about it. You get what you get.

I hear you on the no point in whining. The NFL is basically reality TV that's actually real. Since the Saints won the Super Bowl, the Saints winning or losing doesn't mean as much to me. I still watch Saints games and want to see them win, but them winning or losing is not as big a deal for me as it used to be.

 

[Smooth_Criminal]

I'm half sleeping reading this, for a moment there I was like: "Wow, I never realized Warren Sap was so smart and analytical." lol

 

[COACHTDL]

Roger is an evil man. This is how he wants it. It is his league. He does not care about optics because fans will not stop watching. Businesses will continue to buy ads. The TV providers/networks will continue to pay a ton of money to broadcast the games. And the owners will keep Roger while they are making money hand over fist.