NFL Third Place Game

How about a game between the conference runners-up the weekend preceding the Super Bowl?

More revenue for the NFL. More revenue for TV. More football for football fans in a dead week.

I think the Saints and Patriots would've been a helluva good game.

 

Strange thing is, that doesn't sound half bad. Once the buzz wears off after a few days away from the Championship games, even fans of the teams involved get a bit ansy and wouldn't mind missing a day or two of coverage of when QB A takes a dump to see a pretty good football game.

 

Didn't the NFL do something like that way back when? Like-Pre-Super Bowl Era?

 

yeah, back in the 60s

Playoff Bowl results

All ten games played at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
Season Date Winner Score Runner up
1960 January 7, 1961 Detroit Lions 17-16 Cleveland Browns
1961 January 6, 1962 Detroit Lions 38-10 Philadelphia Eagles
1962 January 6, 1963 Detroit Lions 17-10 Pittsburgh Steelers
1963 January 9, 1964 Green Bay Packers 40-23 Cleveland Browns
1964 January 8, 1965 St. Louis Cardinals 24-17 Green Bay Packers
1965 January 9, 1966 Baltimore Colts 35-3 Dallas Cowboys
1966 January 8, 1967 Baltimore Colts 20-14 Philadelphia Eagles
1967 January 7, 1968 Los Angeles Rams 30-6 Cleveland Browns
1968 January 5, 1969 Dallas Cowboys 17-13 Minnesota Vikings
1969 January 3, 1970 Los Angeles Rams 31-0 Dallas Cowboys

 

The NFL's game was the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl. Vince Lombardi called it a "Shit Bowl...a losers' bowl for losers." Sounds like fun watching.

Third-place games are rarely interesting. The two teams are usually down, because neither wants to be there, and finishing third doesn't mean much.

 

The play on the field would be worse than the Pro-Bowl.

 

Is this a running thread?

 

Teams would hate it.. .best you're gonna get is seeing Sean Peyton and Belichick standing on the sidelines in Honolulu...

 

Wonder if Belichek is going to wear an aloha shirt with a hoodie attached to it.

 

I think teams would hate it until 14:59 in the first quarter when they realize they hate losing more than they hate playing in a shit bowl.

But the week of preparation would be crappy...and if someone suffered a career-ending injury...yeah, will never happen.

 

No - I don't think the idea will get any legs