Playoff expansion better later than now

pakowitz · 05-16-2003, 01:29 AM

http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasqu...n/1553985.html

Playoff expansion unlikely to pass this year

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By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

In advance of the NFL spring meeting that convenes next week, the league\'s influential competition committee has voted unanimously against expanding the number of playoff teams, a recommendation that figures to scuttle the initiative.

Owners will assemble in Philadelphia next Tuesday and Wednesday and, on an agenda steeped with financial issues that are of scant interest to fans, the debate and likely vote on a proposal to expand from 12 playoff teams to 14 is the marquee item. But owners rarely go against the recommendation of the eight-man competition committee and sentiment in that group was solidly against expansion.

It requires a vote of three-quarters of the league membership, or 24 of the 32 owners, to implement key rules changes. The issue of expanding the playoff pool was debated, but then tabled, at the annual league meetings at Phoenix two months ago.

Beyond the competition committee vote, it is believed commissioner Paul Tagliabue does not favor widening the playoffs.

\"When it came up (in March), a lot of us were surprised by the degree of interest in it, but now that seems to have subsided,\" said one competition committee member. \"The initial (ardor), now that people have had a chance to think about it, probably isn\'t there now.\"

Giants vice president John Mara, a member of the committee, told The New York Daily News he feels the proposal is \"doomed for this year.\"

There was a tacit agreement in 2002, when the NFL underwent a wholesale realignment and adopted a new scheduling program, that the league would study those changes for two seasons before considering an expansion of the playoff field.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.

05-16-2003, 01:29 AM	#1
pakowitz The Dark Overlord Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: dirty south Posts: 3,450	Playoff expansion better later than now http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasqu...n/1553985.html Playoff expansion unlikely to pass this year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Len Pasquarelli ESPN.com In advance of the NFL spring meeting that convenes next week, the league\'s influential competition committee has voted unanimously against expanding the number of playoff teams, a recommendation that figures to scuttle the initiative. Owners will assemble in Philadelphia next Tuesday and Wednesday and, on an agenda steeped with financial issues that are of scant interest to fans, the debate and likely vote on a proposal to expand from 12 playoff teams to 14 is the marquee item. But owners rarely go against the recommendation of the eight-man competition committee and sentiment in that group was solidly against expansion. It requires a vote of three-quarters of the league membership, or 24 of the 32 owners, to implement key rules changes. The issue of expanding the playoff pool was debated, but then tabled, at the annual league meetings at Phoenix two months ago. Beyond the competition committee vote, it is believed commissioner Paul Tagliabue does not favor widening the playoffs. \"When it came up (in March), a lot of us were surprised by the degree of interest in it, but now that seems to have subsided,\" said one competition committee member. \"The initial (ardor), now that people have had a chance to think about it, probably isn\'t there now.\" Giants vice president John Mara, a member of the committee, told The New York Daily News he feels the proposal is \"doomed for this year.\" There was a tacit agreement in 2002, when the NFL underwent a wholesale realignment and adopted a new scheduling program, that the league would study those changes for two seasons before considering an expansion of the playoff field. Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
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