Second Thoughts

Madden: Thursday games bad

Former NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden is not a fan of Thursday night games, saying that the league needs to make some scheduling adjustments.
Former NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden is not a fan of Thursday night games, saying that the league needs to make some scheduling adjustments.

Former NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden remains a powerful voice in the league. Earlier this week, he plainly spelled out what is wrong with the league's Thursday night games and why the TV ratings have slipped.

The problem, as the former Oakland Raiders coach and Hall of Famer put it, is that there aren't enough good, competitive teams for all the TV slots the NFL now has to fill each week. The Thursday night games, in particular, are a problem for him.

"Something has to be done about Thursday Night Football," Madden said in a podcast with the Bay Area News Group. "It just doesn't work. It's not only a fan thing, it's a team thing. It's a safety thing. It's a competitive thing. It doesn't work. I know about money, and I know about business. Maybe you have to tweak stuff a little more. To help teams, maybe you get a bye the week before."

Madden, 80, also thought it was unfair for the Washington Redskins to play a home game Sunday night, then have to travel to play Dallas on Thanksgiving Day.

"That's wrong. That's an oops," Madden said. "You play a team on Sunday night and make them travel and play on Thursday. I remember in my coaching days, as players got older, it takes them longer to heal up from a Sunday game, and guys weren't ready to play until Thursday or Friday."

Like most league observers, Madden said one team has set itself up for years to come.

"You go back to ... you better have the players. One team did that and they have the best record in football, and that's the Dallas Cowboys. They went out and got an offensive line, they got a running back, and they have a young quarterback that's playing like heck and will be playing for 10 years," Madden said.

Fan sacrifice

A Merrill, Wis., man is braving the cold and baring skin as he waits for a Green Bay Packers victory.

"I wear shorts a lot anyway," Glenn Seefeldt told WKOW-TV of Madison, Wis. "But once the Packers started losing, I told my family and I said I'm going to wear shorts until they win."

Seefeldt said it's a sacrifice he's willing to make for his favorite team.

"My whole life I've watched the Packers," Seefeldt said. "I don't care how cold it gets."

The Packers have lost four in a row and haven't won since Oct. 20. The high temperature in Merrill on Friday was 34 with a projected low of 26.

Seefeldt's son-in-law told the television station he's not surprised by the situation.

"Some may think my father-in-law is nuts," Bobby Paez said. "But he's a die-hard fan. That's the kind of support they have up here in Wisconsin. I'm totally proud to say that's my father-in-law showing his support for Packer nation."

Seefeldt said people who question what he's doing don't phase him.

"I get a lot of comments ... are you nuts?" Seefeldt said. "Do you know how cold it is outside?"

Seefeldt said even when the Packers win, he'll still wear shorts but will occasionally put on pants.

Sports on 11/26/2016

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