Should the NFL Preseason be scrapped?

[DMBZeppelin]

I totally agree. Look at Strahan last year. He worked out in the offseason and preseason, and he even missed the camp. And he had a very good season. It's not necessary. Maybe 1 game for position battles is necessary, because I do believe game situations are somewhat necessary for those. Nothing more.

Horrible example, Strahan was a seasoned vet. He was a master of his craft. Peyton Manning won't play this pre-season and I believe missed all of camp. Now as long as he doesn't get out of shape, do I think he'll have a great season? Yes of course. This guy knows what he's doing.

Now could the same be said for Aaron Rodgers? No, he needs training camp and the pre-season. Does Brett Favre? Yes he's learning an entirely new system. If you have a hall of famer on your team, and just want him to stay in shape. Great, don't have him in camp or play them in pre-season. But chances are 85% of the roster needs it, if not more.

[love_that_reefer]

I want an answer for your opening question, DMB. Just how many more would there be?

[NYgiantsfan5689]

You know how many more injuries would happen from no pre-season? You have to have it. It also lets backups get evaluated. If you don't want your franchise players to get hurt, don't play them in the pre-season. Every team has this option.

But football is a physical sport. Injuries happen in training camp, and the regular season. Yet everyone picks on the pre-season. My Bears lost their 1st round draft pick for probably the year in training camp. Should we scrap that now? Ya it sucks if a good player gets hurt, but guys get hurt during the season.

If you shorten the pre-season, it's my understanding they'd add more regular season games. You'd increase injury risk by adding more games. Instead of a guy playing a quarter, he's playing the whole game. So if he gets hurt week 1 in the 4th quarter (the former week 3 of pre-season). Well then everyone would say "Well he shouldn't have even been playing then."

Everyone just needs to quit crying when things don't go there way. Let me ask you this Giantsfan, will your so called scrimmages reduce the risk of injury in ANY way?

yes. scrimmages are WAY different from real games. There is a HUGE flaw in your argument. You are suggesting that if a guy gets hurt in week 1 of the newlengthened regular season, then people would say he shouldn't have been playing then. Of course he should! It's the regular season, those games count! Preseason counts for NOTHING, which is why it's ridiculous when players get hurt in them. Injuries in practice are SO MUCH less frequent than in preseason games. The difference from guys getting hurt in the regular season and preseason is that if they get hurt in the regular season, it's in the course of games that count, and there's nothing you can do about it. You scrap the regular season, you have no purpose to playing the sport. You scrap the preseason, you eliminate unnecessary risks without sacrificing any meaningful games. In fact, you may add meaningful games. Which would be ok, IMO.

Another flaw in your argument is this: you say that the lack of physical activity in preseason games will increase regular season injuries. This is a good point, however, their camps and practices are so greuling and these guys are in such ridiculous shape that that argument is totally invalid. I agree that 1 game is possibly an option for evaluating backups. That's it. No more than that.

[love_that_reefer]

Scratching practice is obviously not an option so its silly to even go there. To say injuries occur in training camp and the regular season but they only pick on preseason is silly. Wouldn't scrapping preseason games increase the unlikelihood of injuries by using simple logic? Less games,, less injuries before the season?