Giants owner 'disappointed' by NFL's controversial rule change
Giants owner John Mara didn't mince words about his disapproval of "Thursday Night Football" flexing, which the NFL approved on Monday.
"I'm disappointed, but certainly not surprised," he said of the rule change, per NFL.com's Judy Battista.
The league's resolution allows it to switch games between Sunday afternoons and Thursday nights during Weeks 13-17, which is inconvenient for fans who attend a game.
Buying a ticket is challenging enough for fans as is. It's expensive and requires extensive planning, especially if travel is involved. With this rule in place, a swift schedule change could easily ruin plans.
Mara encapsulated the feeling of frustrated fans at the NFL owners meeting in March, skewering flexing on Thursday nights.
"At some point, can we please give some consideration to the people who are coming to our games?" Mara said. "And 15 days ahead of time to say, 'Sorry folks, that game you were planning to take your kids to Sunday at 1 p.m., now it's on Thursday Night?' What are we thinking about?"
Teams will get 28-days notice, but it still appears that the NFL is valuing its TV partners above everyday fans.
During Amazon's first season streaming TNF, it disappointed after a slew of terrible games. Per Front Office Sports' Michael McCarthy, the corporation compensated advertisers for lower-than-expected viewership.
Amazon reportedly pays $1.2B annually to stream TNF. The NFL possibly changed the rule to give the streaming giant better games to keep it happy.
Nonetheless, Mara is right. Potential schedule changes could be a disappointment for fans who sacrifice their money and time to see a game.
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