The question reduced one normally chatty Bears veteran to something between a stammer and utter silence.
The others smiled and stared at the floor a lot.
It’s an ethical dilemma of sorts. One of those “Would you take a million bucks to cheat on your spouse?” kind of questions, only this one does not involve either Robert Redford or Demi Moore as did the hit film “Indecent Proposal.”
The question to the players: Given the choice, would you rather see the NFL wild-card games stay intact, thus preserving the playoff hopes of probably two-thirds of the league’s teams including, arguably, the Bears? Or would you rather be assured of the 16-game schedule and all 16 segments of your salary, even if it means greatly reducing, if not eliminating, your chances of playing in the postseason?
“Believe me, it’s a whole lot of money,” said one Bear. “A whole lot.”
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For the average player who makes approximately $1 million a year, it would mean about $62,500.
The decision facing the owners, who quickly rescheduled the games called off last week, thus preserving their 16-game revenue, er, schedule, is whether to keep the wild-card games.
The idea of making room for them by pushing the Super Bowl back a week was ruled out Wednesday.
Another possibility, suggested by Denver coach Mike Shanahan, is to have all the teams still competing for a wild card play on the final Saturday of the regular season. Then, he said, the wild-card games–with their participants having an extra day’s rest–could take place on Wednesday and the second round could still be played the following weekend.
This, of course, would give division winners who already have an advantage an even greater one. It would also require the players union to stop laughing long enough to approve it. But it would give some semblance of hope to most NFL teams, probably 20 or so who, with two to three weeks left in the season, still have a shot at the playoffs or can at least look forward to knocking some other team out of it.
If some allowance is not made and the wild-card games are eliminated, then the playoffs will simply revert to how they used to be–with only three division winners and one wild card team per conference advancing.
Contrary to the widespread opinion that the Bears weren’t going to the playoffs anyway, the idea of winning eight games is sure a heck of a lot more realistic than the 10 or 11 that would now be required.
“A lot of fans are going to be cheated out of seeing their teams going to the playoffs,” allowed Bears offensive tackle Blake Brockermeyer. “But then, teams that sneak in with a wild card generally get beat the next week anyway.”
Point well taken, and a half-dozen Bears made it. But even Brockermeyer admits, “Every now and then, a Jacksonville or a Carolina can sneak up and bite you.”
Naturally, some perspective is required, and bringing us back to the reason this debate is even going on, defensive end Bryan Robinson said he is more concerned with his family traveling safely to games and then watching the games in safety.
“I told some guys when the game was canceled last week, I really don’t care if I lose a check,” he said. “The Bears are paying me more than I’ve ever made in my career.”
There is also a point to be made here.
“Regardless of what is being said about the Bears,” Robinson said, “our goals are high this year and we’re trying to get into a position where maybe we don’t need a wild card.”
If it wasn’t exactly a rousing objection to what the argument is suggesting about the Bears’ chances, Robinson made himself clear. No team, mediocre or otherwise, goes into a season striving for a wild card. But educated fans do. And using fun these days as a relative term, it certainly rips that possibility right out of the NFL.
In restoring the 16-game schedule and all but wiping out the possibility of wild-card games, the league used words like sanctity and integrity. But what of the integrity of a season in which most of your teams have nothing to play for after Week 12?
Don’t expect Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to make an official decision on the fate of wild cards anytime soon. The longer he waits, the longer the Bears of the world can still do the math that makes the season tolerable.
And we already know they’re very good at math.