Oct 7, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell prior to the game between the Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans at the Metrodome. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Roger Goodell met with the media yesterday and one of the more interesting tidbits to come out of that session was the exploration of playoff expansion:

Right now, we are at 12 teams, obviously. We will look at probably 14 or 16. The committee will be looking at that.

Change always brings fear, especially in sports when it has championship implications. That being said, an argument can be made that the NFL has room to expand the playoffs, as long as they do it in a reasonable manner.

The best way to put this discussion in a proper context is to examine it in a historical context. The first modern playoffs took place following the 1967 season with four teams. Since that time, the playoff field has expanded on three occasions as the league changed in terms of number of teams and the number of regular season games. Here is a quick summary:

One of the arguments against playoff expansion will surely be based on the fear of diluting the playoff field. This is where the NFL needs to be careful.

An expansion to a 16-team field allows half the league to make the playoffs. Is the field watered down at that point? Perhaps; not to mention the scheduling issues that would arise in trying to squeeze a total of eight first round matchups into a single weekend (assuming the extra teams leads to the elimination of first round byes). Gone would be the ability to showcase one playoff game at a time to a national audience unless the league spreads the games from Thursday to Sunday or Monday. That introduces a short week/long week variable into the equation that the league should avoid.

A 14-team field initially seems awkward as the AFC and NFC would be split into seven-team brackets. Closer examination reveals there is actually a lot that makes sense.

A single first round bye leaves a lot of motivation for even the best teams to put their best effort forward through week 17, much to the delight of fantasy football mangers and ticket holders alike.

Would a 14-team field be a diluted playoff field? That’s a hard case to make following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2005 season. They snuck into the playoffs as the six seed in the AFC and ended as Super Bowl XL champions. Even more, a 14-team playoff in a 32-team league is virtually the same ratio as the 12-team playoff started for a 28-team NFL in 1990 (see table above). Getting the playoffs back to a 1990 level (on a percentage basis) makes a ton of sense considering the parity in the league today. Remember, the free agency system as we know it didn’t go into effect until 1993!

With a single first round bye on the AFC half and another on the NFC half, the first weekend of playoff action fits nicely with an early afternoon-late afternoon-primetime schedule on Saturday and Sunday. That makes for two additional playoff games that can be broadcast to a national audience and that means more money.

When the NFL debates expanding the playoffs they will need to consider a number of factors including financial implications and ensuring that making the playoffs remains a special achievement. They league can balance those interests with a 14-team playoff structure, but 16 teams is going too far.

Nov 20, 2011; Minneapolis, MN, USA; General view of the Metrodome exterior before the NFL game between the Oakland Raiders and the Minnesota Vikings. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

If you’ve followed the NFC North at all in the past years, you’ve heard about Minnesota’s plans to build the Vikings a new stadium.  I wrote a year ago that Viking fans shouldn’t worry.  I was wrong, Viking fans should be panicking right now.

An excerpt from a Yahoo article:

Stadium supporters have been scrambling since a House committee voted down the latest proposal Monday night, a $975 million plan to tear down and rebuild on the Metrodome site in downtown Minneapolis. The team is committed to play its upcoming season in the Metrodome, but Dayton says failure to approve a stadium plan this session increases the chances of Minnesota losing the franchise.

So the state government voted against the proposal and the lease for the Metrodome is about to expire.  Terrible news if you are Vikings fan or a fan of the NFC North.

The governor said that they can try and get a deal done next year but the NFL said that “next year is too late.”  There has been talk about the governor of Minnesota calling a special session later in the year.  It seems like the last chance for Viking fans to see the stadium bill passed.  However, in an article that came out today, it seems like that isn’t going to happen.

The chances of me calling a special session with this Legislature is somewhere between extremely slim and extremely none.

Roger Goodell and Art Rooney are heading up to Minnesota to put more pressure on the legislatures, but it doesn’t look good at all for the Vikings.

First of all, I personally want the Vikings to stay in Minnesota.  The Bears, Packers, Vikings, and Lions have all been in the same division since 1967.  It would be a shame if Minnesota loses the Vikings to another city.

Let’s say that the Vikings franchise does leave Minnesota, where would they go?  The obvious choice would be Los Angeles and there has been a lot of talk recently about it.

Who would fill the void left by the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North?  Well the NFL could pull a NHL (have Winnipeg in the Southeast Division) and keep Los Angeles in the NFC North.  I think the best choice would be putting the Vikings franchise in the NFC West and putting the St. Louis Rams in the NFC North (although they may end up moving to LA too).  What about the Chiefs and Vikings switching positions?

Like I said, I hope the Vikings are able to stay in Minnesota, but if they do move it will be interesting to see who ends up being the new rivals of the Lions.

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

As you’re surely aware, Roger Goodell delivered his own State of the NFL speech last Thursday as part of his pre-Super Bowl press conference, and progressed some emerging ideas that have been floating around over the past few months. The most interesting element that grabbed my attention was the addition of Thursday Night primetime games from weeks 2-15. Every team in the league will now have a game on the NFL Network on a Thursday at some point in the upcoming season.

This concept irks me and should irk the Lions as well.

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