PUZ: Leftwich Injures Knee in Final Preseason Game

The last thing that Coach Mike Tomlin wanted was to see the guy replacing Big Ben go down in th final preseason game, but that is just what happened. Just ove four minutes into the second quarter, Leftwich hit his knee off of running back Mewelde Moore as Moore was blocking Carolina’s Safety Marcus Hudson. Dennis Dixon came into finish the drive and threw a touchdown pass to Emmanuel Sanders.

Print

18 Game NFL Schedule in 2012?

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been pushing for 18 regular season games for a couple of years now, but the thought has finally begun to gain momentum with NFL owners. Goodell has already stated that by the current labor agreement with the players(which ends this season), the NFL has the right to impose an 18 game regular season and keep four preseason games if they wanted to so. Owners have said they would like to keep the season at 20 weeks and reduce preseason games from four to two. Some of the main reasons the onwers have yet to vote on the 18 game season are because of the need to talk about adding more roster spots, changing starting times of training camp and off season workouts, and they would lose time working with younger players who would lose playing time with fewer preseason games.

Although the NFL Commissioner and owners are for the move, players have already begun question the move. Carson Palmer, the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals, thinks if they expand the season to 18 games, it will take meaning away from each game. As a Steelers fan it pains me to agree with the an AFC North rival, but this is bigger than rivalries. Along with taking meaning from games, NFL players could have shorter careers because of how demanding the game is. Last season you might remember Roger Goodell said he wants to find a way to give incentives to players and coaches so they play all 16 games when fans were upset about the Colts not going for a perfect season. Won’t adding two more games to the schedule just exacerbate the problem?

Last year, the Steelers didn’t make the playoffs, but this year ticket prices have increased and adding another game will just raise prices even more. Goodell says he wants to do what is best for everyone, however I don’t feel he really cares about the players or the fans. To quote Vince McMahon, Chairmen of World Wrestling Entertainment, “It’s all about the Money!” to the owners and Mr. Goodell. A yearly game is already being played overseas to help out make the NFL’s popularity global, this takes one home game away from one team’s fans. Not only is one game being played overseas, but there has been talks of doing a Super Bowl overseas. Is that in the best interest of the loyal NFL fans? If no new NFL players agreement is made, there could be no football season next year, but some players feel that having an 18 game schedule is the only way to get a new deal signed.

With only two preseason games, how many rookies will actually be able to get a feel of the speed of the game and make their mistakes when it doesn’t matter? I do feel that four preseasons games feel like they take forever, but I also think it is necessary to help get rookies and other players to the place they need to be before the regular season. One thing is for sure, if the NFL owners want a 18 week regular season, they will get it.

Print