Pre-season Games – Should I Care?

Editor’s Audible by Cindi Dammann

Football has begun! Well, at least there are games being played. It’s the pre-season. For the next four weeks we’ll watch our team play football. The rules are the same as the regular season except these games don’t count. It doesn’t matter if you win all four games or lose all four games, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll make the playoffs or miss the playoffs. Last year the Detroit Lions won every pre-season game, yes, they won all four games, and we know how that turned out (sorry Lions fans). The Indianapolis Colts seem to be notorious for losing more pre-season games than they win. In the last few years they’ve won one pre-season game each year. Yet, their regular season record yields 12 or 13 win seasons, which includes a Super Bowl victory.

Can it even be called a dress rehearsal for the regular season? Starting lineups don’t play much until game three. The starters play a few series in the other three games. Then it’s a conglomeration of other players trying to make the team. Sometimes not all the starters even play so can a fan really get a true feel for how their team will fare? Coaches aren’t calling anything complex; they’re not going to give away any secrets in pre-season. As one broadcaster described the first pre-season game, “they’re playing vanilla football.”

The statistics for pre-season games don’t count for anything in the NFL.  So I’m wondering, if they don’t matter to the NFL should they matter to me? Should I worry if my team wins or loses? How seriously should I take the outcome of the game or how they play the game? Should I keep my emotions in check? Speaking of checks, players under contract don’t technically get paid for pre-season games. They’re paid in 17 equal installments (16 games, one bye week) during the regular season.  Which leads me to wonder if statistics don’t count for anything and contract players “don’t get paid” for these games, why am I paying regular season price for my ticket?

Don’t misunderstand me; I don’t want my team to lose, EVER. In an ideal world I want them to win every pre-season, regular season, and post season game played, yes every game they play I believe they should win. However, as emotionally involved as I am once the season starts, getting depressed or dreaming of a Super Bowl victory prior to that are wasted emotions.