Sports season changes

[Alps]

Minor professional football would be big deal. The regular season in most leagues would start in early May, run until mid-August, after which playoffs would start, and the championship games would be played in late September. There would also be promotion and relegation in these leagues.

CFL should start earlier, in early May rather than mid-June.

As long as college football exists in its current form, there will never be a minor league for the NFL. Why bother, when you have a fully-formed minor league infrastructure in place that the NFL has no financial or legal responsibility for?

The "minor professional" leagues would be independent from NFL, like independent baseball leagues. No promotion and relegation would exist between them and NFL, but promotion and relegation would exist within minor leagues. Like in soccer, where some MLS expansion teams have been brought to MLS from USL, new NFL expansion teams would be brought from top level minor leagues, but it would not be automatic.

No, USA will never have promotion/relegation. Marketing dollars wasted! Stadium deals annulled! Our country just can't.

[Poiponen13]

Minor professional football would be big deal. The regular season in most leagues would start in early May, run until mid-August, after which playoffs would start, and the championship games would be played in late September. There would also be promotion and relegation in these leagues.

CFL should start earlier, in early May rather than mid-June.

As long as college football exists in its current form, there will never be a minor league for the NFL. Why bother, when you have a fully-formed minor league infrastructure in place that the NFL has no financial or legal responsibility for?

The "minor professional" leagues would be independent from NFL, like independent baseball leagues. No promotion and relegation would exist between them and NFL, but promotion and relegation would exist within minor leagues. Like in soccer, where some MLS expansion teams have been brought to MLS from USL, new NFL expansion teams would be brought from top level minor leagues, but it would not be automatic.

No, USA will never have promotion/relegation. Marketing dollars wasted! Stadium deals annulled! Our country just can't.

Promotion/relegation is the best thing that can exist in sports. US should definitely have it. It is fun when a big team is relegated or a team is promoted after many decades of absence.

[GaryV]

The NFL had a couple minor leagues - WLAF and NFL Europe.  They did not catch on and very few players in those leagues actually made an NFL roster later on.

But many players from top-level independent minor leagues would make to NFL.

Name one.

[JayhawkCO]

The NFL had a couple minor leagues - WLAF and NFL Europe.  They did not catch on and very few players in those leagues actually made an NFL roster later on.

But many players from top-level independent minor leagues would make to NFL.

Name one.

I mean, I agree with you guys, but Kurt Warner is an easy example here. Played for the Iowa Barnstormers in the arena league.

[thspfc]

If a pro/rel system were implemented, what would eventually happen is the top ~20-25 franchises would scoop all the talent, and the remaining teams would bounce between leagues playing ugly, unwatchable football and getting slaughtered by the legit NFL teams.

[JayhawkCO]

If a pro/rel system were implemented, what would eventually happen is the top ~20-25 franchises would scoop all the talent, and the remaining teams would bounce between leagues playing ugly, unwatchable football and getting slaughtered by the legit NFL teams.

And have even more guys getting hurt since, if nothing else, you'd have QBs playing behind shitty O-lines against dominant D-lines.

[Alps]

Minor professional football would be big deal. The regular season in most leagues would start in early May, run until mid-August, after which playoffs would start, and the championship games would be played in late September. There would also be promotion and relegation in these leagues.

CFL should start earlier, in early May rather than mid-June.

As long as college football exists in its current form, there will never be a minor league for the NFL. Why bother, when you have a fully-formed minor league infrastructure in place that the NFL has no financial or legal responsibility for?

The "minor professional" leagues would be independent from NFL, like independent baseball leagues. No promotion and relegation would exist between them and NFL, but promotion and relegation would exist within minor leagues. Like in soccer, where some MLS expansion teams have been brought to MLS from USL, new NFL expansion teams would be brought from top level minor leagues, but it would not be automatic.

No, USA will never have promotion/relegation. Marketing dollars wasted! Stadium deals annulled! Our country just can't.

Promotion/relegation is the best thing that can exist in sports. US should definitely have it. It is fun when a big team is relegated or a team is promoted after many decades of absence.

In a foreign country where allegiances remain with teams regardless of their level.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

If a pro/rel system were implemented, what would eventually happen is the top ~20-25 franchises would scoop all the talent, and the remaining teams would bounce between leagues playing ugly, unwatchable football and getting slaughtered by the legit NFL teams.

Poiponen, if you want to see this post in action, watch Alabama's annual pay to play game against Central Wyoming State or East Indiana Technical College. No one wants that.

[GaryV]

The NFL had a couple minor leagues - WLAF and NFL Europe.  They did not catch on and very few players in those leagues actually made an NFL roster later on.

But many players from top-level independent minor leagues would make to NFL.

Name one.

I mean, I agree with you guys, but Kurt Warner is an easy example here. Played for the Iowa Barnstormers in the arena league.

True, but he played college before that. It wasn't a minor leagues to major leagues type of thing that you see in baseball, for example, where the player started directly in the minors. And yes, that is getting less and less common as college baseball becomes more prominent.

[DTComposer]

The NFL had a couple minor leagues - WLAF and NFL Europe.  They did not catch on and very few players in those leagues actually made an NFL roster later on.

But many players from top-level independent minor leagues would make to NFL.

I just don't see it happening - with college football as it is, any player with NFL potential will get a scholarship, the opportunity for a college education if they want, now with NIL rules they'll get a piece of the action, and if they're good enough they'll get drafted. That's the minor league system.

Any minor league outside of that will be made up of D1 washouts, D2 players, and NFL players past their prime, as has been the case with previous attempts. The level of competition would get blown out by your top D1 teams - and since every market of significant size already has a rooting interest in an NFL and/or D1 team, there's no value added by bringing in what's essentially a Group of Five team.

[Poiponen13]

The NFL had a couple minor leagues - WLAF and NFL Europe.  They did not catch on and very few players in those leagues actually made an NFL roster later on.

But many players from top-level independent minor leagues would make to NFL.

I just don't see it happening - with college football as it is, any player with NFL potential will get a scholarship, the opportunity for a college education if they want, now with NIL rules they'll get a piece of the action, and if they're good enough they'll get drafted. That's the minor league system.

Any minor league outside of that will be made up of D1 washouts, D2 players, and NFL players past their prime, as has been the case with previous attempts. The level of competition would get blown out by your top D1 teams - and since every market of significant size already has a rooting interest in an NFL and/or D1 team, there's no value added by bringing in what's essentially a Group of Five team.

MLB should play rivalries on Easter. It falls on the early season and natural rivalries would be played on this day.

[NWI_Irish96]

The NFL had a couple minor leagues - WLAF and NFL Europe.  They did not catch on and very few players in those leagues actually made an NFL roster later on.

But many players from top-level independent minor leagues would make to NFL.

I just don't see it happening - with college football as it is, any player with NFL potential will get a scholarship, the opportunity for a college education if they want, now with NIL rules they'll get a piece of the action, and if they're good enough they'll get drafted. That's the minor league system.

Any minor league outside of that will be made up of D1 washouts, D2 players, and NFL players past their prime, as has been the case with previous attempts. The level of competition would get blown out by your top D1 teams - and since every market of significant size already has a rooting interest in an NFL and/or D1 team, there's no value added by bringing in what's essentially a Group of Five team.

MLB should play rivalries on Easter. It falls on the early season and natural rivalries would be played on this day.

Easter isn't even during the season half the time.

[Poiponen13]

The NFL had a couple minor leagues - WLAF and NFL Europe.  They did not catch on and very few players in those leagues actually made an NFL roster later on.

But many players from top-level independent minor leagues would make to NFL.

I just don't see it happening - with college football as it is, any player with NFL potential will get a scholarship, the opportunity for a college education if they want, now with NIL rules they'll get a piece of the action, and if they're good enough they'll get drafted. That's the minor league system.

Any minor league outside of that will be made up of D1 washouts, D2 players, and NFL players past their prime, as has been the case with previous attempts. The level of competition would get blown out by your top D1 teams - and since every market of significant size already has a rooting interest in an NFL and/or D1 team, there's no value added by bringing in what's essentially a Group of Five team.

MLB should play rivalries on Easter. It falls on the early season and natural rivalries would be played on this day.

Easter isn't even during the season half the time.

If Opening Day is on Thursday between March 26 and April 1, Easter does not fall on season if Easter is on between March 22 and 28. This is only 7 dates, and next such date is March 28 in 2027. Maybe MLB should start on March 25 then.

[kphoger]

I just don't see it happening - with college football as it is, any player with NFL potential will get a scholarship, the opportunity for a college education if they want, now with NIL rules they'll get a piece of the action, and if they're good enough they'll get drafted. That's the minor league system.

Any minor league outside of that will be made up of D1 washouts, D2 players, and NFL players past their prime, as has been the case with previous attempts. The level of competition would get blown out by your top D1 teams - and since every market of significant size already has a rooting interest in an NFL and/or D1 team, there's no value added by bringing in what's essentially a Group of Five team.

MLB should play rivalries on Easter. It falls on the early season and natural rivalries would be played on this day.

Baseballs should be blue.

[Poiponen13]

I just don't see it happening - with college football as it is, any player with NFL potential will get a scholarship, the opportunity for a college education if they want, now with NIL rules they'll get a piece of the action, and if they're good enough they'll get drafted. That's the minor league system.

Any minor league outside of that will be made up of D1 washouts, D2 players, and NFL players past their prime, as has been the case with previous attempts. The level of competition would get blown out by your top D1 teams - and since every market of significant size already has a rooting interest in an NFL and/or D1 team, there's no value added by bringing in what's essentially a Group of Five team.

MLB should play rivalries on Easter. It falls on the early season and natural rivalries would be played on this day.

Baseballs should be blue.

Why? I know that baseball is only Big Four sport that is not associated with any holidays (NFL plays on Thanksgiving, NBA on Christmas Day and NHL on Boxing Day), and that should change. Easter is my favorite holiday because of defining of its date (can be any between March 22 and April 25), and Easter games featuring rivals would be success.

[hotdogPi]

Nobody cares about Boxing Day in the US.

[kphoger]

I just don't see it happening - with college football as it is, any player with NFL potential will get a scholarship, the opportunity for a college education if they want, now with NIL rules they'll get a piece of the action, and if they're good enough they'll get drafted. That's the minor league system.

Any minor league outside of that will be made up of D1 washouts, D2 players, and NFL players past their prime, as has been the case with previous attempts. The level of competition would get blown out by your top D1 teams - and since every market of significant size already has a rooting interest in an NFL and/or D1 team, there's no value added by bringing in what's essentially a Group of Five team.

MLB should play rivalries on Easter. It falls on the early season and natural rivalries would be played on this day.

Baseballs should be blue.

Why? I know that baseball is only Big Four sport that is not associated with any holidays (NFL plays on Thanksgiving, NBA on Christmas Day and NHL on Boxing Day), and that should change. Easter is my favorite holiday because of defining of its date (can be any between March 22 and April 25), and Easter games featuring rivals would be success.

The Fubon Guardians should be part of the Frontier League.  Their jerseys would be jade green, and all the players' numbers would be primes.  All of their games would be played on Tuesdays.

[1995hoo]

Poiponen is, as usual, either mistaken, ignorant, or both. The NHL is not "associated with" December 26. The collective bargaining agreement requires a Christmas break and provides that no games or "team activities" are allowed on December 24 or 25, and the only time games are allowed on December 26 is when that date falls on a Saturday (in which case no games are allowed on December 23). The CBA also prohibits teams from traveling during the Christmas break–a few years ago the Maple Leafs were fined $100,000 for making the players travel on December 26 in advance of a game on December 27 in St. Louis.

[Poiponen13]

Poiponen is, as usual, either mistaken, ignorant, or both. The NHL is not "associated with" December 26. The collective bargaining agreement requires a Christmas break and provides that no games or "team activities" are allowed on December 24 or 25, and the only time games are allowed on December 26 is when that date falls on a Saturday (in which case no games are allowed on December 23). The CBA also prohibits teams from traveling during the Christmas break–a few years ago the Maple Leafs were fined $100,000 for making the players travel on December 26 in advance of a game on December 27 in St. Louis.

I surely remember about reading from lost Wikipedia article:

Baseball and soccer are not commonly associatd with any holidays, but as baseball plays almost every day...

.
This article mentioned that NHL is associated with some holiday. Sadly I can't remember which article it was. But for Boxing Day, I remembered wrong.

[DTComposer]

I just don't see it happening - with college football as it is, any player with NFL potential will get a scholarship, the opportunity for a college education if they want, now with NIL rules they'll get a piece of the action, and if they're good enough they'll get drafted. That's the minor league system.

Any minor league outside of that will be made up of D1 washouts, D2 players, and NFL players past their prime, as has been the case with previous attempts. The level of competition would get blown out by your top D1 teams - and since every market of significant size already has a rooting interest in an NFL and/or D1 team, there's no value added by bringing in what's essentially a Group of Five team.

MLB should play rivalries on Easter. It falls on the early season and natural rivalries would be played on this day.

Baseballs should be blue.

Why? I know that baseball is only Big Four sport that is not associated with any holidays (NFL plays on Thanksgiving, NBA on Christmas Day and NHL on Boxing Day), and that should change. Easter is my favorite holiday because of defining of its date (can be any between March 22 and April 25), and Easter games featuring rivals would be success.

Baseball plays games on Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day - three of the most "patriotic" holidays America has, and fitting for a sport long considered "America's Pastime."

[Poiponen13]

I just don't see it happening - with college football as it is, any player with NFL potential will get a scholarship, the opportunity for a college education if they want, now with NIL rules they'll get a piece of the action, and if they're good enough they'll get drafted. That's the minor league system.

Any minor league outside of that will be made up of D1 washouts, D2 players, and NFL players past their prime, as has been the case with previous attempts. The level of competition would get blown out by your top D1 teams - and since every market of significant size already has a rooting interest in an NFL and/or D1 team, there's no value added by bringing in what's essentially a Group of Five team.

MLB should play rivalries on Easter. It falls on the early season and natural rivalries would be played on this day.

Baseballs should be blue.

Why? I know that baseball is only Big Four sport that is not associated with any holidays (NFL plays on Thanksgiving, NBA on Christmas Day and NHL on Boxing Day), and that should change. Easter is my favorite holiday because of defining of its date (can be any between March 22 and April 25), and Easter games featuring rivals would be success.

Baseball plays games on Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day - three of the most "patriotic" holidays America has, and fitting for a sport long considered "America's Pastime."

And on Easter in most years, including 2022, 2023 and 2024. But no particular games (rivalries) are associated with these days, like in NFL where Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys host a game each on Thanksgiving every year.

[Scott5114]

In 2025 all sports rivalries will be played on Flag Day. All refs will throw twice as many penalties as usual because it is Flag Day.

[JayhawkCO]

Poiponen is, as usual, either mistaken, ignorant, or both. The NHL is not "associated with" December 26. The collective bargaining agreement requires a Christmas break and provides that no games or "team activities" are allowed on December 24 or 25, and the only time games are allowed on December 26 is when that date falls on a Saturday (in which case no games are allowed on December 23). The CBA also prohibits teams from traveling during the Christmas break–a few years ago the Maple Leafs were fined $100,000 for making the players travel on December 26 in advance of a game on December 27 in St. Louis.

The only sport I know of that has Boxing Day as an "associated holiday" is English football.

[kphoger]

In 2025 all sports rivalries will be played on Flag Day. All refs will throw twice as many penalties as usual because it is Flag Day.

All flags thrown will be jade green, because I like it.

[Poiponen13]

In 2025 all sports rivalries will be played on Flag Day. All refs will throw twice as many penalties as usual because it is Flag Day.

What does that mean? I just threw a funny proposal to play "natural rivalries" on Easter. This has been on my mind about three years.