Whelp, the eventual solution from the NFL is now out there, and i kinda like it. Game cancelled, and each specific playoff game decision will be made individually for each specific outcome.
Ok it might suck a little bit for the relevant teams to miss out on a home playoff game - but then we just need to remember why we're here and that football is not important vs human life.
Minimal fuss, minimal room for confusion, and minimal impact to teams that are not directly involved in the cancelled game or very top end of the AFC. And crucially, we all know what's going on ahead of this weeks games.
Above all else, as much as it would be cool to see the 'Hawks in the playoffs, that Damar Hamlin is still with us, and looking on the road to a strong recovery, is the true win. As is the massive outpouring of charitable support, proving that for all our tribalism, sports fans are deeply connected and caring people.
If the integrity of the shield meant anything, and the use of the NFL as a “football family”, then this makes some sense as everyone is pulling together.
But if you have eight teams, you have the possibility of the NFC eight seed going in and knocking out the one seed in a game that should never have been played. In the admittedly highly unlikely scenario that this eighth seed managed to win the Super Bowl, that win will always be considered illegitimate in some quarters.
Resume the game week 19 where it left off. Only game on the schedule that day. Push playoffs back a week, Super Bowl can stay on schedule. But they won’t. They’ll consider the game canceled.
Sounds far fetched but I guess something needs to happen and this makes about as much sense as any other option. Seattle fans would of course love it. Eagles fans, assuming they get the win on Sunday, not so much. Anything the NFL chooses will be controversial.
All they had to do was push playoffs back a week, resume the Bills/Bengals game from time and score -as the lone game week 19. It would get all the ratings. Spend the first quarter talking about Damar, how he’s doing and his charity and so forth. With any luck he’ll be able to be there. This would mean you have to get rid of the bye week before the Super Bowl. But it’s the only way that’s right, no?
As is canceling the game. Everything from playoff seeding to draft positioning is impacted. From a Seahawks fan perspective, I'm more bothered that our draft pick may have slid back 2 slots than the Lions game perhaps not mattering (to them).
In brighter news, Damar Hamlin was said to be conscious and talking today, and had the breathing tube removed.
I'm bummed that LA may not come to play too. But there's nothing that can be done about it and it is what it is. Right now, I'm mostly thinking about Damar Hamler. I'm sure we all are. Football is just a game. I'm thankful he's recovering, as I'm sure you are too. Though there are young people dying worldwide and we don't give it a second thought, that changes when we know someone by face and name, even if we've never met them in person. Just a weird feature of being human. I'm sure this incident puts football in perspective for the vast majority of fans.
Stalin is reputed to have said, "One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic." Human beings are flawed in our shared myopia. Alas, I'll be satisfied with a top five pick, though of course top three would be better. Can't fault the NFL for not looking out for Seattle in this. Our interests are far down the list at a time like this, which is as it should be.
I don't think Joe Mixon "Doesn't care about Damar" or any of those things being said. It's in the rulebook as to how they will handle such a situation and the league chose not to presumably because media availability week is too important. And I'm sure optics played a role since they come out looking more compassionate. But I don't give the NFL benefit of the doubt ever. They are all about revenue.
I agree on the last point. I cut the NFL no slack, just as I cut most corporate entities no slack. Because, as you said, they're all about money.
That said, I don't know that there's a right or wrong way to handle this. It's totally unprecedented and the NFL has the right to make a new rule. It seems that what they've come up with is as benign as any other option. No matter what they did, people were going to feel screwed and get pissed.
If someone gets cancer and says, "Why me?", my response would be "Why not you?" I mean, we know people get cancer. That's just how it is. So there's a chance it could be you, it could be me. That's just life. Same here. We know someone's ox is getting gored. So why not ours?
That would be the back door of all back doors. But looking at the schedule it could happen – so there’s that. I believe the last time we backed into the playoffs with a losing record was the beast quake game. Which outside of the Super Bowl against Denver is my favorite Seahawks game of all time.
Love it! Not fair to the projected #1 seeds, but have always preferred even-numbers playoff structures -- and, the NFL gets one more game out of it so the money works. Great idea
The eight team playoff makes sense. This late in the season it is the only way to fix the situation without a coin flip. My bet is this is what happens. The Seahawks still have to beat the Rams though.
I should have addressed this, but technically not true. The Seahawks could get in if they lose, the Commanders lose, the Saints lose, and the Lions lose.
Oh boy. That's my vote then, as it's the craziest way for this situation to play out. Not really. Please just beat the stupid rams again. Can we somehow make a side-bet with McVay that if we win we get to borrow Wagner for the playoffs? If we lose, they can have their choice of DT/DE from our roster.
Well that does sound fair and one more Playoff game means a lot more money. Sorry to sound crass but the NFL is in the business of making money. Here is an opportunity to do just that. I still don't see how they sort out the top seeds, so don't hold your breath. Also all the best to Damar and his family, which is the most important.
Whelp, the eventual solution from the NFL is now out there, and i kinda like it. Game cancelled, and each specific playoff game decision will be made individually for each specific outcome.
Ok it might suck a little bit for the relevant teams to miss out on a home playoff game - but then we just need to remember why we're here and that football is not important vs human life.
Minimal fuss, minimal room for confusion, and minimal impact to teams that are not directly involved in the cancelled game or very top end of the AFC. And crucially, we all know what's going on ahead of this weeks games.
Above all else, as much as it would be cool to see the 'Hawks in the playoffs, that Damar Hamlin is still with us, and looking on the road to a strong recovery, is the true win. As is the massive outpouring of charitable support, proving that for all our tribalism, sports fans are deeply connected and caring people.
If the integrity of the shield meant anything, and the use of the NFL as a “football family”, then this makes some sense as everyone is pulling together.
But if you have eight teams, you have the possibility of the NFC eight seed going in and knocking out the one seed in a game that should never have been played. In the admittedly highly unlikely scenario that this eighth seed managed to win the Super Bowl, that win will always be considered illegitimate in some quarters.
Resume the game week 19 where it left off. Only game on the schedule that day. Push playoffs back a week, Super Bowl can stay on schedule. But they won’t. They’ll consider the game canceled.
Sounds far fetched but I guess something needs to happen and this makes about as much sense as any other option. Seattle fans would of course love it. Eagles fans, assuming they get the win on Sunday, not so much. Anything the NFL chooses will be controversial.
All they had to do was push playoffs back a week, resume the Bills/Bengals game from time and score -as the lone game week 19. It would get all the ratings. Spend the first quarter talking about Damar, how he’s doing and his charity and so forth. With any luck he’ll be able to be there. This would mean you have to get rid of the bye week before the Super Bowl. But it’s the only way that’s right, no?
It's not that simple. Network time is scheduled months in advance. Would be a financial and logistical nightmare.
As is canceling the game. Everything from playoff seeding to draft positioning is impacted. From a Seahawks fan perspective, I'm more bothered that our draft pick may have slid back 2 slots than the Lions game perhaps not mattering (to them).
In brighter news, Damar Hamlin was said to be conscious and talking today, and had the breathing tube removed.
I'm bummed that LA may not come to play too. But there's nothing that can be done about it and it is what it is. Right now, I'm mostly thinking about Damar Hamler. I'm sure we all are. Football is just a game. I'm thankful he's recovering, as I'm sure you are too. Though there are young people dying worldwide and we don't give it a second thought, that changes when we know someone by face and name, even if we've never met them in person. Just a weird feature of being human. I'm sure this incident puts football in perspective for the vast majority of fans.
Stalin is reputed to have said, "One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic." Human beings are flawed in our shared myopia. Alas, I'll be satisfied with a top five pick, though of course top three would be better. Can't fault the NFL for not looking out for Seattle in this. Our interests are far down the list at a time like this, which is as it should be.
The teams getting screwed over by a ruling made up on the fly have every right to be upset about it. There was a rule allowing for a 19th week if needed and it was just tossed aside. Meanwhile Joe Mixon is getting called a monster for wanting the game to be resumed: https://twitter.com/joe_mainmixon/status/1611212660271374336?s=46&t=c2nD3NO1qx6ihXabfCHSSA
I don't think Joe Mixon "Doesn't care about Damar" or any of those things being said. It's in the rulebook as to how they will handle such a situation and the league chose not to presumably because media availability week is too important. And I'm sure optics played a role since they come out looking more compassionate. But I don't give the NFL benefit of the doubt ever. They are all about revenue.
I agree on the last point. I cut the NFL no slack, just as I cut most corporate entities no slack. Because, as you said, they're all about money.
That said, I don't know that there's a right or wrong way to handle this. It's totally unprecedented and the NFL has the right to make a new rule. It seems that what they've come up with is as benign as any other option. No matter what they did, people were going to feel screwed and get pissed.
If someone gets cancer and says, "Why me?", my response would be "Why not you?" I mean, we know people get cancer. That's just how it is. So there's a chance it could be you, it could be me. That's just life. Same here. We know someone's ox is getting gored. So why not ours?
Dear NFL, please make it so. Any other solution to try and shoehorn in that one extra game is going to be more complex and unfair to those two teams.
That would be the back door of all back doors. But looking at the schedule it could happen – so there’s that. I believe the last time we backed into the playoffs with a losing record was the beast quake game. Which outside of the Super Bowl against Denver is my favorite Seahawks game of all time.
Love it! Not fair to the projected #1 seeds, but have always preferred even-numbers playoff structures -- and, the NFL gets one more game out of it so the money works. Great idea
The eight team playoff makes sense. This late in the season it is the only way to fix the situation without a coin flip. My bet is this is what happens. The Seahawks still have to beat the Rams though.
Except that it breaks faith with the teams with the best record. The simplest thing to do is go with winning percentage.
Ah, that is a good point.
I should have addressed this, but technically not true. The Seahawks could get in if they lose, the Commanders lose, the Saints lose, and the Lions lose.
Oh boy. That's my vote then, as it's the craziest way for this situation to play out. Not really. Please just beat the stupid rams again. Can we somehow make a side-bet with McVay that if we win we get to borrow Wagner for the playoffs? If we lose, they can have their choice of DT/DE from our roster.
Lol watch this happen and then the Hawks lose to the Rams. That would be a tragic ending (or maybe a comedic one).
That is so true.
Wild, wacky stuff!
Well that does sound fair and one more Playoff game means a lot more money. Sorry to sound crass but the NFL is in the business of making money. Here is an opportunity to do just that. I still don't see how they sort out the top seeds, so don't hold your breath. Also all the best to Damar and his family, which is the most important.