Eight Is Enough: No Current Plans For NFL Net To Expand Eight-Game Package

NFL Network Senior VP/Programming & Production Mark Quenzel said that there “are currently no plans to expand the eight-game schedule" for the net's live NFL game package, according to Jenny Vrentas of the Newark STAR-LEDGER. Quenzel noted that while he "would like more games, he also did not want to speak on if that would be in the NFL’s best interests." Quenzel: “I put my NFL Network hat on, yeah. I put on my NFL hat on, that says the goal is to distribute and grow the popularity -- as popular as it is now, you've always got to do better -- I couldn't speak if it's a better thing for NFL Network to have more games, or if it's better to have somebody else, another carrier, another distributor." Vrentas noted the Jets play the Broncos on Nov. 17, the second game of NFL Net's package, and the Jets currently are the team playing on "Thursday Night Football" that is "scheduled to play the prior Sunday night.” Flex scheduling begins in Week 10, “but the NFL announced Monday that the Jets-Pats game will stay in the Sunday night spot.” NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said, “Every team in the league has concerns about what they perceive to be scheduling inequities. I think some of the Jets people feel like, 'Hey, why are we the only team that plays Thursday night with a preceding Sunday night game?’” (NJ.com, 11/2). When asked about being the only team to play a Thursday night game following a Sunday night game -- instead of a Sunday day game -- Jets coach Rex Ryan said, “Never thought of it that way. If I said something then (the headline is), ‘Ryan blasts commissioner.’ I think I’ll avoid that one” (NYPOST.com, 11/1).